Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries
Have your say
From 31 March to 15 May 2026, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) invites comment on proposed import requirements for fresh blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) for human consumption.
This page outlines:
- our assessment of market access requests from Chile, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, and the USA
- our approach to preventing the introduction of harmful pests and diseases through fresh blueberry imports.
We want your feedback, technical information, industry knowledge, and suggestions on:
- pests requiring additional measures that we may have missed
- the measures we’re proposing
- the feasibility of importing under the proposed requirements
- our consultation process.
Reasons for developing an import health standard for blueberries
Five countries (Chile, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, and the USA) have requested to export blueberries to New Zealand. To protect our environment, economy, and health, we need to ensure that pests, which may harm them, are managed to an acceptable level on imported blueberries. At the same time, we seek to enable safe and fair trade with our international partners.
Our goal is to strike the right balance, keeping New Zealand safe and enabling trade that benefits our economy and our trading partners. It is important that our biosecurity measures align with international standards and are evidence-based.
Consultation document and information
Draft Import Health Standard: Fresh Blueberries for Human Consumption [PDF, 562 KB]
Proposals for allowing the import of fresh blueberries
Answers to questions you might have about allowing the import of fresh blueberries
Related documents
WTO notification [PDF, 118 KB]
Making your submission
We welcome your feedback about the proposals and the draft import health standard. We’re accepting submissions until 5pm on 15 May 2026.
If you’re happy with what we’re proposing, you don’t need to do anything else, but we’d appreciate an email from you letting us know.
You can send us your feedback by email or post.
Post
Plant Products Team
Biosecurity Import and Export Standards Directorate
Biosecurity New Zealand
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140
New Zealand.
If you need more information from us before making your submission, email blueberryproject@mpi.govt.nz
Note that submissions received after the closing date will be kept on file and considered during future reviews.
We value all feedback on our work, whether complimentary or critical. If we’ve done something well, let us know so we can keep going in the right direction.
Risk assessment for importing blueberries
We developed the draft import health standard (IHS) after assessing and reviewing all the potential risks.
A list of pests that might be found on blueberry bushes was gathered using various sources, including published scientific literature, pest databases (for example, CABI and EPPO), overseas interception data, MPI’s emerging risk system database and government and academic webpages. Each pest on the list was reviewed to see if it would be a potential hazard on imported blueberries. To do this, we asked whether the pest:
- could be found on blueberry fruit
- might not be adequately managed by standard commercial production methods
- is present in any of the exporting countries
- could cause harm to New Zealand, and
- is not in New Zealand
- or is under official control
- or might bring diseases/pathogens (these kinds of pests are called “vectors”).
Based on these criteria, many pests were excluded from further consideration. Some were also excluded because there wasn’t enough information to know if they were a risk. However, all regulated pests that have been excluded will still be considered for action if intercepted on blueberries at the New Zealand border.
List of excluded pests [XLSX, 51 KB]
After the process of exclusion, the remaining pests were considered hazards on blueberries that needed further assessment.
Information gathered during hazard identification identified 19 pests that are associated with the commodity and may not be visually detectable and managed by commercial production methods.
These 19 pests (15 insects and 4 fungi) were further assessed to understand the level of risk. To assess the level of risk, we looked at how likely it is for each pest to reach New Zealand on blueberries from the exporting countries, transfer to a suitable host, establish and spread, and how much harm it might cause here.
While sociocultural, environmental, and human health impacts were assessed for each pest, only economic impacts are mentioned in the rationale for strength or measure in the proposed requirements, as these were found to be the most significant ones. Based on information on entry, exposure, establishment and impact, strength of phytosanitary measure is assigned to each pest to manage the risk on blueberries.
Refer to our risk rating table for estimated likelihoods, potential impact ratings and how they relate to traditional risk ratings and descriptions.
Risk rating tables [PDF, 46 KB]
Reference list of all the literature used during our analysis [PDF, 264 KB]
Phytosanitary measures are applied to regulated pests when the risk from entry, establishment, and spread via a pathway is unacceptable. These measures aim to reduce risk to an appropriate level of protection.
The strength of the phytosanitary measures required should be no more than necessary to manage the risk the pest poses. MPI categorises measures by increasing strength:
- basic
- targeted
- MPI-specified.
The strength required depends on the pest’s likelihood of entering and establishing in New Zealand and the potential level of impact it would have on New Zealand’s environment and economy if introduced. Pests that are a higher risk require stronger assurance of control.
For pests with severe consequences (such as economically significant fruit flies), MPI-specified measures are required, even if the likelihood of entry is low. A single post-border detection triggers a costly response and may lead to stricter requirements from our trading partners for our exports.
What we are proposing
The draft IHS contains all requirements that we propose must be met for the importation of fresh blueberries for human consumption into New Zealand.
We propose that all imported fresh blueberries need to comply with the general import and basic measure requirements.
General requirements
- Exporting market NPPO complies with ISPM 7 phytosanitary certification system: This means MPI can rely on the phytosanitary assurances of the exporting market NPPO.
- Blueberries undergo phytosanitary inspection and certification: The exporting NPPO certifies and attests that requirements have been met.
- Packaging is clean: This reduces the chances of pest contamination and of those pests being exported with blueberries.
- Phytosanitary security is in place: This stops pests from infesting a consignment after it has been officially inspected.
- Bilateral arrangements (export plans) are in place: There is a formal agreement with the exporting countries on how the import requirements will be achieved for pests that require targeted or MPI-specified measures.
We propose that all fresh blueberries exported to New Zealand must be commercially produced.
Our definition of commercial production
“A process (system) where activities, such as in-field monitoring, pest control activities, harvesting, cleaning, sorting, and grading, have been undertaken. These activities are carried out to minimise:
- the presence of regulated pests
- damage that may be a result of the presence of a regulated pest or that could expose the commodity to regulated pests.”
The activities carried out in a commercial production setup, including pest control, harvesting, sorting, cleaning, inspection and packaging, together with phytosanitary inspection and certification, are referred to as basic measures. MPI considers that the pests listed as being managed by basic measures will have their risk reduced to an acceptable level, not zero. These basic measures also help lower the risk of any other regulated pests that may be associated with blueberries but are not specifically listed. We used basic measures as a baseline for our risk assessment. This means we did not treat pests as a risk requiring additional measures on the pathway if they were already being adequately managed by commercial production methods.
Basic measures and their outcomes
- In-field monitoring and pest control activities: Routine pest control activities reduce the number of pests in the field and regular monitoring allows growers to detect pests that may be present and manage them as needed.
- Cleaning: Trained workers or machinery will clean fruit to remove extraneous plant material, debris, soil, and large mobile pests.
- Sorting and grading: Trained workers will sort and grade fruit to remove damaged or visibly pest/disease-infested blueberries.
- Phytosanitary inspection and certification: Phytosanitary inspection and certification by the NPPO provide assurance that consignments meet MPI phytosanitary requirements and do not pose unacceptable pest risks.
While identifying hazards, 19 pests were identified that may not be visually detectable and managed by commercial production methods. Further assessment of these 19 pests was required to determine if basic measures would be sufficient.
For all pests listed in Table 1, basic measures are considered to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. It is important to note that we do not propose to include these pests in the IHS itself, but the list of pests associated with fresh blueberries and managed by basic measures can be found in Pier Search (our database of import and export requirements).
Some species (fungi and thrips) were assessed as a group since they have similar biology and ecology and are likely to have comparable impacts.
For an explanation on how we assess risk, refer to the details on risk assessment and impact ratings [PDF, 46 KB]
Table 1: Pests proposed to be added and managed by basic measures
| Pest name | Distribution | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Fungi | ||
| Botrytis californica | USA | The likelihood of entry of this fungus into New Zealand is very low. It usually infects blueberries during flowering and after harvest. Fruit must be damaged to become infected and will show visible symptoms that would be detected. The likelihood of exposure to other plants in the New Zealand environment is very low. That is because asymptomatic fruit will be eaten, there is minimal waste from blueberries discarded into the environment and the fungus has a limited host range. The likelihood of establishment is moderate due to suitable climate conditions. Its spread would be limited by availability of hosts. Economic impact is very low, and it is likely to be outcompeted by the more aggressive Botrytis cinerea that is widespread in New Zealand and for which control measures are available. |
|
Colletotrichum chrysophilum Colletotrichum nymphaeae |
Mexico, USA | The likelihood of entry of these fungi into New Zealand is very low. Infected berries typically develop visible symptoms, such as fruit rot, within 10 days. A small proportion of infected berries that are not showing symptoms could be exported and the fungi can potentially survive cold storage and transit. The likelihood of exposure is very low. Asymptomatic fruit is likely to be eaten and there is minimal waste from blueberries discarded into the environment. If it gets into the environment, the likelihood of establishment and spread are high due to suitable climate and widespread host availability. Economic impact is likely to be moderate. These fungi can cause leaf/ flower anthracnose and fruit rot in a wide range of hosts including some high value crops. |
| Monilinia fructigena | Morocco | The likelihood of entry of this fungus into New Zealand is very low. Blueberries are a minor host and infection causes either premature fruit drop or makes fruit to shrivel up and die, which would make them unmarketable. Some spores could remain on the surface of blueberries without visible symptoms and can potentially survive cold storage and transport. The likelihood of exposure to other plants is negligible, if it were to enter New Zealand. There is minimal waste from blueberries discarded into the environment, and asymptomatic fruit is likely to be consumed. Given that the fungus is rarely found on blueberries and the likelihood of entry and exposure are very low and negligible respectively, the overall likelihood of introduction is negligible. No further assessment was deemed necessary. |
| Thrips | ||
|
Catinathrips kainos Catinathrips similis Catinathrips vaccinicolus Frankliniella bispinosa Frankliniella vaccinii Scirtothrips ruthveni |
USA | The likelihood of entry of these thrips species into New Zealand is considered very low. They mostly attack flowers and leaves and, as such, have a weak association with mature ripe blueberry fruit. They are likely to be detected, as blueberry fruit does not provide suitable hiding spots. The likelihood of exposure is considered very low. There is minimal waste from blueberries discarded into the environment. These thrips are less likely to transfer from blueberries to a suitable host due to their fragility and poor dispersal abilities. The likelihood of establishment and spread is moderate due to suitable climate and host availability. Economic impact is likely to be low. Yield loss of host plants may occur through damage to leaves and flowers. |
| Frankliniella australis | Chile | |
| Frankliniella tritici | Mexico, USA | |
| Scirtothrips aurantii | Morocco | |
| Scirtothrips dorsalis | Mexico, Peru, USA | The likelihood of entry of S. dorsalis into New Zealand is considered very low. This species has a weak association with mature ripe blueberry fruit, as it prefers young or developing plant tissues. All life stages are likely to be detected, as blueberry fruit does not provide suitable hiding spots. The likelihood of exposure is considered very low. There is minimal waste from blueberries discarded into the environment. If entered, they may be less likely to transfer from blueberries to a suitable host due to their fragility and poor dispersal abilities. The likelihood of establishment and spread is moderate due to suitable climate in northern regions of New Zealand and widespread host availability. Economic impact is likely to be moderate. It has a wide range of hosts including high value crops and causes damage by feeding on plant tissues. |
Targeted measures are justified where we find that the risk posed by a pest is not sufficiently managed by basic measures alone. Table 2 has a selection of measures that may be considered for managing pests requiring targeted measures.
Table 2: Targeted measures and outcomes
| Targeted measure | Outcome of targeted measure |
|---|---|
| Country freedom | A chief technical officer is satisfied that a country is free of the pest in accordance with ISPM 4. Requirements for the establishment of pest free areas or ISPM 8. Determination of pest status in an area. |
| Pest free area | The fresh blueberries are sourced from a pest free area established in accordance with ISPM 4. Requirements for the establishment of pest free areas. |
| Pest free place of production | The fresh blueberries are sourced from a pest free place of production established in accordance with ISPM 10. Requirements for the establishment of pest free places of production and pest free production sites. |
| Systems approach | Different measures, at least 2 of which act independently, are integrated and have a cumulative effect that is effective for managing the pests in accordance with ISPM 14 The use of integrated measures in a systems approach for pest risk management. |
| In-field pest controls | In-field pest control activities are undertaken that are effective for managing the pests, consistent with good agricultural practice and in accordance with the details of the relevant bilateral arrangement. |
| Phytosanitary treatments | A phytosanitary treatment is applied prior to export or in transit to New Zealand. The treatment must be in accordance with a treatment specified in a relevant annex of ISPM 28. |
After hazard identification, several new pests were flagged for further risk assessment to determine if additional measures were needed. Based on the assessment, Lobesia botrana (European grapevine moth) is proposed to require measures beyond basic requirements.
Rationale for Lobesia botrana (European grapevine moth) targeted measures
This moth is found in Chile and Morocco.
Though blueberries aren’t a primary host and the likelihood of entry is considered very low, additional measures are proposed. Early larval stages feed inside the fruit and may enter undetected because they don’t cause obvious external symptoms (webbing and frass) produced by older larval stages. The likelihood of exposure to other plants is very low, as larvae are likely to be weakened by cold storage and transport. This would limit their ability to transfer to host plants, and larvae are unlikely to develop on decaying discarded blueberries. If larvae survive and develop, the likelihood of establishment and spread is high due to suitable climate and widespread host availability. In grape-growing regions, this pest can produce multiple generations each year. Economic impact is moderate. It is a major pest for grapes (its primary host) and grapevine is a high-value crop in New Zealand.
Economically significant fruit flies are a high-risk pest group, and even an incursion could disrupt trade and cause large economic loses for New Zealand horticulturists. We propose managing economically significant fruit flies with the following specified measures, on top of basic measures.
| MPI-specified measure | Outcome of MPI-specified measure |
|---|---|
| Country freedom | A chief technical officer is satisfied that a country is free of the pest in accordance with ISPM 4. Requirements for the establishment of pest free areas or ISPM 8. Determination of pest status in an area. |
| Pest free area | The fresh blueberries are sourced from a pest-free area established in accordance with ISPM 4. Requirements for the establishment of pest-free areas or ISPM 26. Establishment of pest free areas for fruit flies (Tephritidae). |
| Systems approach | Different measures, at least 2 of which act independently, are integrated and have a cumulative effect that is effective for managing the pest in accordance with ISPM 14. The use of integrated measures in a systems approach for pest risk management and ISPM 35. Systems approach for pest risk management of fruit flies (Tephritidae). |
| Phytosanitary treatments | A phytosanitary treatment is applied prior to export or in transit to New Zealand. The treatment must be in accordance with a treatment specified in a relevant annex of ISPM 28. Phytosanitary treatments for regulated pests or any other treatment specified in Schedule 2 of the proposed import health standard. |
Evidence supporting this proposal includes:
- The economically significant flies are recorded in association with blueberries.
- Infestations may not be visible because the eggs and maggots will be inside fruit. Fruit culling and general post-harvest handling are unlikely to remove all infested fruit.
- The flies are likely to survive transit to New Zealand.
- The flies have the potential to survive and complete development in blueberry waste, that is discarded fruit.
- The flies are likely to find suitable host plants in New Zealand.
- The flies all have potential to establish in at least some parts of New Zealand due to climatic factors.
- If a single economically significant fly is detected, it has the potential to cause major negative economic impacts to New Zealand, largely due to New Zealand’s current pest-free status for these flies.
- Costs incurred to investigate an incursion or respond to and eradicate an outbreak are high.
- For example, the Bactrocera tryoni (Queensland fruit fly) response in 2019 cost the New Zealand government approximately NZ$18 million.
- There would be financial and trade impacts on New Zealand.
- New Zealand horticulture exports are worth over NZ$8.8 billion (MPI, 2025).
- Trading partners are likely to impose restrictions and/or additional phytosanitary measures for all host material of these flies, which ca be costly to implement.
- Market access loss at a cost close to AU$100 million was recorded for Bactrocera dorsalis (recorded as B. papaya) in North Queensland.
- Establishment of these flies can cause high control costs for growers.
- Control costs due to fruit flies have been estimated at over US7.5 million per annum in a single province (Western cape) in South Africa (Barnes, 2016).
- Without control measures, direct damage of fruit and vegetable commodities can be as high as 100%.
- Costs incurred to investigate an incursion or respond to and eradicate an outbreak are high.
- The flies have the potential to cause significant damage to other plants in New Zealand, including economically important species such as citrus.
- The flies have the potential to cause social impacts by affecting plants in residential gardens.
| Pest | Distribution |
|---|---|
| Anastrepha fraterculus – South American fruit fly | Peru |
| Ceratitis capitata – Mediterranean fruit fly | Peru, Morocco |
| Drosophila suzukii – Spotted wing drosophila | Chile, Mexico, Morocco, USA |
| Rhagoletis mendax – Blueberry maggot | USA |
Answers to questions you might have
An import health standard (IHS) specifies the requirements for importing goods into New Zealand from all countries with approved market access for that commodity.
To check the approval status and import requirements for specific commodities and countries, use Pier search.
If a commodity is not approved from a certain country, you can find more information about requirements on the web page ‘Steps to importing fresh fruit and vegetables’
MPI determines the strength of measures required for pests based on the risk of entry, exposure, establishment in New Zealand, and the potential impacts. Each risk component is assigned a rating – negligible, very low, low, moderate, or high – representing a scale of increasing risk. Depending on the strength and reliability of the supporting evidence, the level of confidence or uncertainty for each rating is described as low, moderate, or high.
The risk evaluation criteria include:
- current scientific evidence of pest biology and association
- relevant production processes and methods
- relevant inspection, sampling and testing methods
- prevalence of pests and diseases in the country of origin
- relevant ecological and environmental compatibility (potential for long-term establishment in New Zealand)
- quarantine or in-transit treatment options
- potential economic and environmental consequences of entry and establishment (including the impact on cultural values).
MPI uses 3 different types of measures to manage pests and diseases: basic, targeted, and MPI-specified.
Pests managed by basic measures are those where commercial production methods (for example, standard cultivation pest control, harvesting, inspection, and packaging) and phytosanitary inspection will reduce the population to an acceptable level, not zero.
Pests that are not sufficiently managed by basic measures require targeted measures, such as pest-free places of production, phytosanitary treatment, systems approaches or in-field pest control. Targeted measures are assessed and negotiated between New Zealand and the exporting country’s National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) and are captured in the export plan.
MPI-specified measures are required when the risk of entry and incursion or establishment of a pest is high, and the consequence of establishment (or incursion) of a pest is severe. These are also included in the export plan and agreed on between New Zealand and the exporting country’s NPPO.
During the risk analysis stage, MPI identified pests and diseases associated with the commodity (blueberries with no stalk or other plant parts attached) and the import pathways covered in the IHS. Many pests may be associated with the blueberry plant, though not the commodity. For these pests that are unlikely to be found on the commodity, commercial production methods sufficiently manage the risk to the import pathway.
Other reasons for pests not being included as a pest risk for the commodity are:
- the pest is already present and established in New Zealand
- absence of the pest in the exporting markets
- non-regulated in the Official New Zealand Register.
Official New Zealand Pest Register
Consider that a pest may be listed under a different name. Scientific names sometimes change and we endeavour to use the currently valid scientific names. However, other names for the same species (synonyms) may exist.
Regardless of the strength of a measure, any viable regulated quarantine pest will be actionable at the border if intercepted. The same principle applies to pests that were not assessed in full. Although pests managed through basic measures are not listed in the import health standard, they will be listed in the Official New Zealand Pest Register, along with the actions that border inspectors should take if intercepted.
Fresh blueberries represent a low-waste pathway when compared to other fresh produce where fruit skins, stems, seeds or other plant parts are not consumed. We have considered discarded imported berries at multiple points in the supply chain, including import, inspection, distribution, retail rejection and household disposal. Commercial production practices including manual harvesting, quality control and border inspections are expected to collectively exclude damaged or visibly compromised fruit from export. Berries without visible symptoms are likely to be consumed rather than be discarded.
While a few visibly damaged berries may end up with consumers, only a small proportion of such fruit is expected to be disposed of in ways that would expose pests or diseases to the New Zealand environment. Given the limited scale of such disposal and the low likelihood of viable pests encountering suitable hosts, exposure via the waste pathway is considered negligible to very low, even for pests with high establishment potential.
Submissions are public information
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
