Biosecurity New Zealand has issued a warning over imported tomato seeds from Australia, specifically South Australia.
Biosecurity New Zealand has placed import restrictions on tomato seed imports from Australia, after the detection of tomato brown rugose fruit virus at two South Australian growing properties.
New Zealand Biosecurity officials have been eagerly monitoring border security.
"We’ve stepped up our biosecurity requirements in response to the recent finds in South Australia," said Biosecurity New Zealand deputy director general Stuart Anderson.
"Imported seeds for sowing from Australia will now require testing for the virus prior to arrival in New Zealand, which is a requirement that is already in place for other countries where the virus is present.”
Biosecurity New Zealand has also temporarily suspended tomato imports from all other Australian states except Queensland, where there has been no evidence of the disease or links to the affected properties in South Australia as of yet.
Stuart Anderson said all of New Zealand’s imported tomatoes from Australia currently come from Queensland and not South Australia.
"We’re in close contact with our counterparts in Australia about what they’ve found and the measures they are taking, and we’ll continue to monitor the situation closely,” said Anderson.
"We’re committed to ensuring New Zealand growers are protected, and that’s why we’ve taken these steps already."
He added that the virus, which was first noted and detected in the Middle East, has never been found in New Zealand. It can also affect tomatoes, capsicums, and chillies, which can cause yellowing and deformity in the host plants, but has no impact on human health.
"There is nothing to suggest the virus is here at present, but as always, we ask growers to check their biosecurity practices, be vigilant, and contact us at our pests and diseases hotline if they notice problems with their tomatoes."
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