New Zealand-Concerns in pork industry.

NEW ZEALAND-CONCERNS IN THE PORK INDUSTRY.

Pork producers believe MAF is playing Russian roulette with them, writes JILL GALLOWAY.

The Ministry of Agriculture’s (MAF’s) release of provisional import health standards would allow pig meat containing an unwanted virus to be widely distributed in New Zealand , putting the country’s pork industry at unnecessary risk, said New Zealand Pork chairman Chris Trengrove.

The virus causing concern is the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).

"PRRS is a devastating pig disease that results in sows aborting and slow and agonising death for piglets. Though not affecting humans it is rated as the number-one disease enemy of the pork industry worldwide," said Mr Trengrove.

The virus, found in most countries, is not present in Australia and New Zealand .

Mr Trengrove said MAF Biosecurity New Zealand acknowledged there was a risk and yet it proposed to let the infected meat enter New Zealand and attempt to deal with it afterwards.

MAF’s biosecurity arm released for consultation in November, four draft import health standards for pig meat imported from Canada , the US , Mexico and the European Union.

There have been seven months of submissions, which MAF has worked through before coming out with the provisional import health standards.

"MAF is playing Russian roulette with our industry. It states that the measures proposed will manage the risk. They will not," said Mr Trengrove.

Under this scenario, it was not a matter of if New Zealand would get this devastating disease, but rather when, he said.

Forty per cent of pig meat consumed in New Zealand is imported, but all of it goes to transitional centres and it is all cooked before distribution.

"We’d be happy if that continued. It is only raw pig meat which spreads PRRS. All of the imported pork should be cooked," he said.

Mr Trengrove said Australia had far stricter import regulations than New Zealand . New Zealand had been targeted by countries wanting to export raw pork.

Emeritus Professor Roger Morris, who recently retired from Massey University ’s Epicentre, said MAF Biosecurity New Zealand had not taken either the science or industry concerns into account.

"Our research showed if we have to accept uncooked product, we’ll have PRRS here in three years."

He said from it was very distressing for the industry.

"They’ll lose a massive amount of market share and stability in the industry," Prof Morris said.

It had had a huge impact on other pig industries around the world, and New Zealand had escaped.

Barry O’Neil, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand deputy director- general, said: "Having considered the public submissions, all relevant science and a wide range of expert opinion, MAF considers the PRRS risk associated with consumer-ready pork imports to be effectively managed by the measures proposed in the Import Heath Standards."

MAF said the primary means by which PRRS could enter New Zealand - via the import of live pigs or pig semen - was already strictly controlled. MAF considered the likelihood of the PRRS virus entering New Zealand via pig meat and infecting pigs was very low, and the measures being proposed would effectively manage the risks.

But that does not wash with NZ Pork.

Mr Trengrove said he and New Zealand Pork had a good relationship with the Minister of Agriculture, David Carter.

He said while Mr Carter’s hands were tied with regard to these provisional health standards, the Minister of Agriculture did have a good understanding of the New Zealand pig industry .

NZ Pork said it would be doing everything possible to stop the import health standards being enacted and would request an independent review of the science as allowed under the Biosecurity Act.