Development of a Risk Management Measure for Mites on Organic Banana Exports to New Zealand
Exports of bananas to New Zealand have occurred sporadically from Samoa prior to 2009. In 2009, Women in Business Development Inc. (WIBDI) began trial shipments of organic misiluki bananas with a view to develop a commercial export pathway. Practical difficulties in sourcing adequate supply of fresh bananas, the variable and delicate nature of misiluki bananas, and interceptions of a range of mites and insects on-arrival have hindered the development of this export pathway since 2009.
This short term project was to investigate the quarantine status of pests found on Samoan banana exports to New Zealand and to determine what options were available to both manage them and retain the organic status of the product. The activity was also intended to build the capacity of Samoa Quarantine Service (SQS) to conduct export inspections of bananas to the same standard as those done on-arrival by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (NZMPI).
