The discussion over new blueberry import health standards is less about the science than about what growers are actually asking for, Blueberries NZ technical lead Dermott Malley says.

“I think the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has got this view that because we’ve been so emphatic about what we want to see controlled, that this is about trying to stop things coming into the country, and nothing could be further from the truth,” he says.

He says the sector wants agreement on the goal.

“This is not about fighting them or making life difficult, it’s about making sure that the fruit that arrives in New Zealand is safe, free of pests and diseases.”

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