17 Jul 2012

Flower growers want more say in risk assessment

6:32 am on 17 July 2012

The Flower Growers Association wants more involvement than it's had in the past in the risk assessment process by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

President Daniel Shuurman says a recent report into how the PSA kiwifruit disease came into the country reinforces the flower industry's concerns about the ministry's risk assessment process.

He says it is no great surprise the report could not find how the disease entered the country or that failings in the biosecurity process were identified.

He says his industry has raised concerns with the ministry on imported cut flowers for some years where his members have noticed inconsistencies and a lack of consultation.

"The growers in the industry are the experts, they are the ones that are living with these problems day-in-day-out and they're the ones dealing with the import export of the products."

Mr Shuurman says the Association is planning to raise those concerns at a meeting with the Minister for Primary Industries and officials in August.