Interest in N.Z. seed industry

Press, 18 February 1977, Page 7

Interest in N.Z. seed industry

Among the many visitors New Zealand has had recently from the European Economic Community, there were three in Canterbury tliis week whose interest was in New Zealand’s small seeds industry.

They were Dr R. E. Graeber, head of the European Economic Community’s division for plants and plant products, who is a German, Mr W. Burr, of the West German Ministry of Agriculture in Bonn who is responsible for seeds, and Mr E. Sondergaard, who is head of seed certification in Copenhagen in Denmark. Dr Graeber said that member countries of the community and New Zealand were members of the Organisation for Economic 1 Co-operation and development, which had within its framework seed certification schemes. These certification schemes were now compulsory for trade within the community and the community had accepted New Zealand cer- ; tified herbage seeds and < also some New Zealand | brassica seeds. Now, he said they had come to see how New Zea- f land conducted its certifi- ; cation schemes. They were ■ interested in learning more 1 about how varieties bred m I N e w Zealand were I accepted and how their I subsequent identity was supervised, and as well they wanted to exchange ideas that could further develop relationships between the community and New Zealand in the seed sector. Dr Graeber said that they met the leaders of the New Zealand seed industry in Paris every year under the 0.E.C.D., so that they knew each other well. Before he had ever come to this country, he said that he had been convinced

that the technical conditions applying to seed certification here would be well.

New Zealand, he said, had had 30 to 40 years’ experience in developing its techniques and they had certainly not come here to give any advice. While happy with conditions here, he said there would be some points that they would be discussing while they were here and he was optimistic that solutions would be reached. These points would in no way endanger the good relations that existed between the community and New Zealand. Dr Graeber said it was his view that there was a possibility of New Zealand producing more seed for the community, but he emphasised that they also attached considerable importance to reciprocity and two-way trade. New Zealand, he said,

was of great interest to European plant breeders for multiplication of seeds in the northern hemisphere winter so that two production seasons could be obtained in a year — this was particularly important to them when they had a new variety that was officially accepted and they needed to build up seed supplies for distribution. For some species he said that ecological conditions

were favourable here for seed multiplication and compared favourably with those in the community. New Zealand, he said, could be well placed to produce seed of sugar beet and also possibly fodder beet, as with no local sugar beet industry there were splendid opportunities for isolation of varieties to avoid cross pollination. He said that an area like! the Mackenzie Country, with development erf irriga-i tion, could offer opportu-j nities for such production. ! The effects of the I drought in Europe last! year had resulted in supplies of seed of most, but’ not all, crops being short, j he said. In a statement issued just before the arrival of the three E.E.C. men in New Zealand the Ministry of Agriculture said that they would be comparing seed trade standards here with those adopted by the community. From July 1 this year market access for “third 1 country” seed exports would' require E.E.C.-, equivalent standards of production and certification, said the Ministry of 1 Agriculture and Fisheries’ chief advisory officer I (seeds), Mr P. Thaine, who I at one time was a Ministry officer stationed in Rangiora. “At present, New Zealand exports seeds to individual member countries under bilateral arrangements. In the year ended June, 1976, nearly 7M kilograms of seeds worth some $3.5M, went to these mar-j kets, mostly to the United! Kingdom and France.” Mr Thaine said the visit! was expected to cause few problems. Even if changes! were needed, the industry had proven its ability to adapt. “For example, the transition to O.E.C.D. requirements in 1967 was smoothly made.” The E.E.C. party came to; New Zealand from Chile! and was due to go on to Australia at the end of this week.