Government must sort garlic industry triple-whammy

The Green Party is calling on Biosecurity and Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton to step in and save New Zealand's garlic industry from disaster.

"The industry has been served a triple-whammy by this Government. It has been hit hard by the import of container loads of cheap Chinese garlic, while at the same time prevented from importing new seed by onerous biosecurity rules," Safe Food Spokesperson Sue Kedgley says.

"The industry has been further damaged by the threat of contamination from a garlic virus from the imported variety.

"The Greens warned MAF four years ago that people were planting the imported garlic all around the country, but officials have turned a blind eye to it," Ms Kedgley says.

"The high standards for importing garlic seed have meant that growers haven't been able to get any seed into the country for more than four years. If the garlic growers can't get their seed in within the next few months, the future of the garlic industry in New Zealand will be at risk.

"It takes time to build up new stock, and New Zealanders are clamouring for New Zealand garlic, but there is very little available, because of this inability to bring in new seed.

"Also of huge concern is the fact that New Zealand officials have never even travelled to China to check how garlic is grown and processed there. They haven't been to check that the garlic is grown in areas that are free from certain pests, even though this is a key to its biosecurity status.

"It's mystifying why they would be so lax on imported garlic, and yet are so stringent on the seed from Argentina that growers need to build up the New Zealand garlic industry.

"There seems to be a complete double standard at work here, and the effect of it is to put our garlic industry at risk. I am calling on Mr Anderton to intervene and sort the situation out," Ms Kedgley says.