Pest tests for Turkish wheat

Press, 1 April 1989, Page 5

Pest tests for Turkish wheat

By

PAM MORTON

A shipment of 20,000 tonnes of Turkish wheat will be examined by MAFQuaI staff when the Manyas arrives in Lyttelton today.

Canterbury arable farmers recently expressed fears that the shipment might introduce pests which could damage their cereal crops. The chairman of the arable section of North Canterbury Federated Farmers, Mr Jim Wilson, also suggested that the wheat might be affected by fallout from the Chernobyl disaster. An information officerr with the Ministry, Dr Chris Boland, said staff would carry out tests for contamination by weeds and pests as a “doublecheck.” The wheat would not have been allowed to leave Turkey unless it had been thoroughly tested, he said.

Wheat samples will be tested at a seed testing station before being cleared for discharge.

Dr Boland said New Zealand had strict standards regarding import of cereals and stock.

"Testing is done in New Zealand to knock the risk down even further,” he said.

Suggestions of the shipment containing an excessive amount of radioactivity have been discounted by the Health Department and the National Radiation Laboratory.

Dr Murray Matthews, of the laboratory, said it was extremely unlikely that the wheat would contain a significant level of radiation.

The importation into New Zealand of some foods from Eastern Europe was restricted after the Chernobyl disaster and subect to guidelines regarding the level of radio nuclides in the foods. If the imports did not have a certificate stating they complied with New Zealand’s requirements, they were sample tested in New Zealand. The Turkish wheat will be sample tested if it is

not accompanied with a certificate when it arrives in Lyttelton.

Mr Wilson said arable farmers were concerned that as spot purchases of grain grew so would the likelihood of something happening. “By bringing crops into the centre of New Zealand’s grain growing area they are asking for trouble in the long-run. “Every shipment that comes from a different part of the world will bring its own problems,” he said. Farmers had voiced their concerns to protect their livelihood, said Mr Wilson. He was satisfied that thorough testing would be conducted by Ministry staff and the Health Department. The wheat is being imported by Goodman Fielder Wattie (N.Z.), Ltd, to make up for a shortfall in the local production of low protein biscuit and feed wheat.