What's New

7th February 2024 – News Release

2024 will be a watershed year for growers of certified seed in New Zealand.

A new Seed Certification Information System will be implemented soon and field production standards for seed certification are being updated for the first time in nearly 10 years.

Possibly the most significant change for seed growers will be in the way certification charges are invoiced.

Until now, invoices for the costs associated with getting crops certified such as inspections and testing, have come from AsureQuality, the industry’s certification service provider and independent verification authority.

But from next month, growers will receive an invoice from the New Zealand Seeds Authority (NZSA), the organisation which built the Seed Certification Information System and determines how seed certification is administered in NZ.

The new NZSA invoices will show the certification charges and levies, previously incorporated into the AsureQuality invoices.

Grower payments for the NZSA invoices will help cover operating costs for the National Seed Certification Office and allow it to recover the cost of building the new certification system.

The new invoicing arrangement came about through Federated Farmers Arable representation on the NZSA Executive and has been welcomed by growers.

The NZSA invoices will list certification charges based on a rate per kilogram of machine-dressed seed. This rate is anticipated to be around 6c/kg for small seeds and 1.2c/kg for grain.

Charges will be shared equally between growers and seed companies for proprietary seeds. For multiplication crops grown for re-export, growers will pay 75% of the charges.

For commodity seeds such as Nui perennial ryegrass and Huia white clover, growers will pay 100% of the charges. A 10-tonne line of Nui ryegrass is likely to cost a grower around $600 in certification charges.

Some seed companies are already paying for certification costs as part of their grower contract for selected crop types, so these agreements will not be affected by the new invoicing arrangement.

For further please contact:

George Gerard

Manager NZSA

E: ggerard@pggwrightsonseeds.co.nz

Ph:  (+64) 27 4474807 web: www.nzseedsauthority.com

News Release – 29th January 2024

The New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade Association was delighted with a great seed export year.

The total value of New Zealand seed exports, in calendar year 2023, totalled $281m, 27% up on the previous year, according to data issued by Stats NZ this week.

New Zealand seeds were exported to over 60 countries in 2023.

The top five export markets by value were the Netherlands, Australia, USA, China and Germany. Together, they account for around 60% of total export sales.

Pasture seeds including ryegrass and clover seed, vegetable seeds namely carrot, radish and beet seed and cereal and oil seeds were our top export categories, earning $259.5million, $3.1million and $18.8 million respectively in 2023.

More than 80% of NZs seed production is in the Canterbury region centered in and around the Ashburton district encompassing over 40,000 hectares of certified crop.

“Our global customers select New Zealand as they know we have high integrity aided by a very good certification system which delivers a quality, consistent and unique product that they can trust,” says association General manager, Thomas Chin.

“The export turnover achieved emphasises the resilience of the industry, amid a year that has been full of weather challenges, increasing production costs and inconsistent shipping reliability.

“With the new Government’s focus on an export-led recovery, we look forward to seeing those initiatives comes through so that our sector can get on and generate the revenue and the dividend that helps keep people in jobs, especially within the regions”, he added.

For further information contact:

Thomas Chin, General Manager NZGSTA

ph (03) 349 8430; or 021 679 989

thomas.chin@seedindustrynz.co.nz