Import Health Standard  
Commodity sub -class: Fresh fruit/vegetables  
 
 
 
 
Island cabbage ( bele, lau pele, raukau, viti, aibika ) 
 (Abelmoschus manihot ) 
 
 
 
ISSUED  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Issuance : XX XXXX 2012  
 
 
 
 
  
IHS Fresh Fruit/Vegetables. Island cabbage  (Abelmoschus manihot ) from Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Cook Islands & 
Kingdom of Tonga   XX XXXX  2012  
(Biosecurity Act 1993)     Page 2 of 9 
 Issuance 
This import health standard for Fresh  Island cabba ge (Abelmoschus manihot ) from t he 
approved countries listed in Part A  has been issued pursuant to section 22 of the Biosecurity 
Act (1993).  
 
          
  
 Signature of Group Manager, Import  & Export Plants, Standards Branch  
Acting under authority  
   
Date: DD Month YYYY  
 
 
  
IHS Fresh Fruit/Vegetables. Island cabbage  (Abelmoschus manihot ) from Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Cook Islands & 
Kingdom of Tonga   XX XXXX  2012  
(Biosecurity Act 1993)     Page 3 of 9 
 IMPORT HEALTH STANDARD: FRESH FRUIT/VEGETABLES  
 
Island cabbage (Abelmoschus manihot)  
 
 
Contents  
 
Part A. Background  ................................................................................................................ 4-5 
Scope  
Definitions  
Outcom e 
Performance measure  
Equivalence  
Approved countries  
 Part B. General import conditions for all fresh fruit/vegetables for consumption .................... 5 
Part C. Additional requirements for Island cabbage  from t he approved countries  ................... 5 
Phytosanitary measures  
Inspection of the consignment  
 Part D. Phytosanitary certification  ............................................................................................ 6 
Activities  required for phytosanitary certification 
Additional declarations to the phytosanitary certificate  
 Part E. Regulated organism list for Island cabbage  from t he approved countries . ................... 8 
   
IHS Fresh Fruit/Vegetables. Island cabbage  (Abelmoschus manihot ) from Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Cook Islands & 
Kingdom of Tonga   XX XXXX  2012  
(Biosecurity Act 1993)     Page 4 of 9 
 Part A. Background  
Scope 
This import health standard describes the requirements to be met to enable biosecurity 
clearance to be given for fresh Island cabbage  (Abelmoschus manihot ) for human 
consumption imported into New Zealand from t hose approved countries mentioned below . 
The commodity description on “ Island cabbage”  for human consumption is defined as the 
harvested fresh  leaves of cultivated Abelmoschus manihot (L) cut and trimmed at the stem 
end of the petiole to exclude any part of the stem, flowers, seed pods or roots; cleaned, packed and transported to New Zealand, for consumption. It is a hibiscus -like leaf crop of 
highly variable leaf shape and colour  between the many cultivated varieties.  
 
Definitions  
The definitions of relevant phytosanitary terms used in this standard are consistent with the terms stated in the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No.5, 
produced by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), unless the context otherwise requires or the definition is stated  below.  
Import health standard (IHS) means a document issued pursuant to section 22 of the 
Biosecurity Act 1993 on behalf of the Director General permitting entry to New Zealand of a 
specific product under certain conditions.  
MPI means the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries  which is responsible for 
regulatory biosecurity functions.  Maximum allowable prevalence means the level of infestation that is the threshold, above 
which phytosanitary actions based on inspection would be applied.  
Regulated organism means  any organism  for which phytosanitary actions would be 
undertaken if intercepted/detected.   
Outcome  
The pre-shipment or in -transit measures have been undertaken and the Island cabbages are 
free of  regulated organism s. 
Performance measure 
The M aximum A llowable P revalence for visually detectable regulated organisms on fresh 
fruit/vegetables is as follows: “At a 95% confidence level,  not more than 0.5% of leaves  in 
the consignment are infested (this equates to a n acceptance level of zero leaves  infested by 
regulated organis ms in a sample size of 600 leaves )”.  
IHS Fresh Fruit/Vegetables. Island cabbage  (Abelmoschus manihot ) from Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Cook Islands & 
Kingdom of Tonga   XX XXXX  2012  
(Biosecurity Act 1993)     Page 5 of 9 
 Equivalence 
Under section 22 of the Biosecurity Act 1993, MPI  can amend the relevant IHS by adding an 
approved equivalent phytosanitary measure, once that measure is proven to maintain at lea st 
the same level of protection assured by the measures  in this IHS . Equivalence is determined 
by MPI  in accordance with ISPM No.24: Guidelines  for the determination and recognition of 
equivalence of phytosanitary measures ( IPPC 2005). See the associated g uidance document 
on how to apply for equivalence, if necessary.  
Approved Exporting Countries  
Fiji Islands, Samoa, Vanuatu, Cook I slands and Kingdom of Tonga.  
 
Part B. General  Import requirements  for all fresh 
fruit/vegetables for consumption  
The MPI  import  health standard 152.02 (IHS  152- 02: Importation and Clearance of Fres h 
Fruit and Vegetables into New Zealand) contain s the phytosanitary requirements  that must 
be met  for all fresh fruit and vegetable commodities that are allowed to be imported into 
New Z ealand.  IHS 152- 02 deals with transit requirements, inspections on arrival in New 
Zealand and actions undertaken upon pest and disease interceptions. 
IHS 152.02 can be found at the MPI  website ( http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/ihs/152 -
02.pdf ). 
Part C. Additional requirements  for Island cabbage  from 
approved exporting countries  
Phytosanitary measures  
MPI requires  the N ational P lant P rotection O rganisation ( NPPO ) of the exporting countri es 
to undertake  phytosanitary measures  that are effective against  the regulated organisms  listed 
in Part E  prior  to the commodity arriving in New Zealand, and phytosanitary certification 
will need to attest to this accordingly . 
MPI approves the use of a co mbination of phytosanitary risk management measures 
including mandatory measures such as inspection f or the regulated organisms from the 
approved countries.  
 
   
IHS Fresh Fruit/Vegetables. Island cabbage  (Abelmoschus manihot ) from Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Cook Islands & 
Kingdom of Tonga   XX XXXX  2012  
(Biosecurity Act 1993)     Page 6 of 9 
 Inspection o f the consignment  
Once the phytosanitary measures have been undertaken for the regu lated organism s, the 
respective NPPO s are required to sample  (600 unit s) and visually inspect consignment s 
according to official p rocedures for all  regulated  organism s specified in the regulated  
organism  list ( Part E ) to ensure New Zealand ’s current import  requirements are complied 
with.   
A phytosanitary certificate should not be issued if live regulated organism(s)  are detected, 
unless the consignment is effectively treated. If organism s are found which are not listed in 
the import health standard, the  exporting country  NPPO s must establish their regulatory 
status. The  list of actionable regulated organisms  is available in MPI ’s “Biosecurity 
Organisms Register for Impo rted Commodities” (BORIC) , online at  
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests/registers/boric . 
If an organism  found during pre -export phytosanitary inspection by the exporting country  
NPPO s is not listed in BORIC,  they  must contact MPI  to establish the regulatory  status of 
the or ganism . 
Part D. Phytosanitary certification  
Activities required for phytosanitary certification  
A completed phytosanitary certificate issued by the approved exporting countr ies NPPO 
must accompany all Island cabbage  consignments exported to New Zealand. Th e 
phytosanitary certificate must be in English and must be an original . Bilingual certificates are 
acceptable as long as English is one of the languages.  
Before a phytosanitary certificate is issued, the  approved exporting countr ies NPPO must be 
satisfied that the following activities required by MPI have been undertaken.  
The Island cabbage s have : 
i)   undergone pest control activities  effective against the regulated organisms , 
 
AND  
 ii) been inspected in accordance with appropriate official procedures and conside red 
to be free of  regulated organisms specified by MPI   
        
IHS Fresh Fruit/Vegetables. Island cabbage  (Abelmoschus manihot ) from Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Cook Islands & 
Kingdom of Tonga   XX XXXX  2012  
(Biosecurity Act 1993)     Page 7 of 9 
 Additional declarations  to the phytosanitary certificate 
If satisfied that the pre -export  activities have been undertaken  effectively , the approved 
exporting countries  NPPO must confirm this by  providing the following additional 
declaration s to the phytosanitary certificate:  
 
i) “The Island cabbage  leaves in this consignment have been inspected according to 
appropriate official procedures and are  considered to be free from all regulated 
organisms  specified by New Zealand MPI.   
 NOTE: The generic phytosanitary certifi cate declaration contained on the 
phytosanitary certificate will be considered as equivalent to this declaration .  
 
  
IHS Fresh Fruit/Vegetables. Island cabbage  (Abelmoschus manihot ) from Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Cook Islands & 
Kingdom of Tonga   XX XXXX  2012  
(Biosecurity Act 1993)     Page 8 of 9 
 Part E.  Regulated organism list for Island cabbage  from  
different exporting countries  
Fiji Islands  
Scientific name  Organism 
type Common name  Actions on 
interception  
Haritalodes derogate  Insect  Cotton leaf roller  2 
Aleuro dicus dispersus   Insect  spiralling whitefly  2 
Pseudaulacaspis pentagona   Insect  White peach scale  2 
Aphelenchoides besseyi   Nematode  rice white -tip nematode  2 
Earias vitella   Insect  spiny bollworm  2 
Adoretus versutus   Insect  rose beetle  2 
Amblypel ta cocophaga cocophaga   Insect  coconut nut fall bug  2 
Solenopsis geminata   Insect  tropical fire ant  1 &/or 2  
Choanephora cucurbitarum   Fungi  foliage blight  2 
Choanephora infundibulifera    Fungi  leaf rot  2 
Oidium abelmoschi   Fungi  powdery mildew  2 
Pseudocercospora abelmoschi  Fungi  leaf spot  2 
Vanuatu  
Scientific name  Organism 
type Common name  Actions on 
interception  
Maconellicoccus hirsutus   Insect  pink hibiscus mealy bug  2 
Pseudaulacaspis pentagona   Insect  White peach scale  2 
Earias vitella   Insect  spiny bollworm  2 
Adoretus versutus   Insect  rose beetle  2 
Achatina fulica   Mollusc  giant African snail  2 
Amblypelta cocophaga cocophaga   Insect  coconut nut fall bug  2 
Choanephora cucurbitarum   Fungi  foliage blight  2 
Choanephora infundibulifera    Fungi  leaf rot  2 
Pseudocercospora abelmoschi  Fungi  leaf spot  2 
Samoa  
Scientific name  Organism 
type Common name  Actions on 
interception  
Haritalodes derogate  Insect  Cotton leaf roller  2 
Aleurodicus dispersus   Insect  spiralling whitefly  2 
Maconellic occus hirsutus   Insect  pink hibiscus mealy bug  2 
Pseudaulacaspis pentagona   Insect  White peach scale  2 
Earias vitella   Insect  spiny bollworm  2 
Adoretus versutus   Insect  rose beetle  2 
Achatina fulica   Mollusc  giant African snail  2 
Amblypelta cocopha ga cocophaga   Insect  coconut nut fall bug  2 
Choanephora cucurbitarum   Fungi  foliage blight  2 
Choanephora infundibulifera    Fungi  leaf rot  2 
Oidium abelmoschi   Fungi  powdery mildew  2 
Pseudocercospora abelmoschi  Fungi  leaf spot  2  
IHS Fresh Fruit/Vegetables. Island cabbage  (Abelmoschus manihot ) from Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Cook Islands & 
Kingdom of Tonga   XX XXXX  2012  
(Biosecurity Act 1993)     Page 9 of 9 
  
Cook Islands  
Scient ific name  Organism 
type Common name  Actions on 
interception  
Aleurodicus dispersus   Insect  spiralling whitefly  2 
Aphelenchoides besseyi   Nematode  rice white -tip nematode  2 
Earias vitella   Insect  spiny bollworm  2 
Adoretus versutus   Insect  rose beetle  2 
Solenopsis geminata   Insect  tropical fire ant  1 &/or 2  
Choanephora cucurbitarum   Fungi  foliage blight  2 
Choanephora infundibulifera    Fungi  leaf rot  2 
 
Kingdom of Tonga  
Scientific name  Organism 
type Common name  Actions on 
interception  
Aphis fabae   Insect  black bean aphid  2 
Aleurodicus dispersus   Insect  spiralling whitefly  2 
Maconellicoccus hirsutus   Insect  pink hibiscus mealy bug  2 
Pseudaulacaspis pentagona   Insect  White peach scale  2 
Aphelenchoides besseyi   Nematode  rice white -tip nematode  2 
Earias vitella   Insect  spiny bollworm  2 
Adoretus versutus   Insect  rose beetle  2 
Achatina fulica   Mollusc  giant African snail  2 
Solenopsis geminata   Insect  tropical fire ant  1 &/or 2  
Choanephora cucurbitarum   Fungi  foliage blight  2 
Choanephora infundibulifera    Fungi  leaf rot  2 
Pseudocercospora abelmoschi  Fungi  leaf spot  2 
 
 
NOTE:  The suspension of the pa thway could be at the production area, packhouse, 
province or country level depending on the significance of the regulated  
organism and the interception. Actions on interception   
 1 Removal of trash – organism s are associated with other plant parts and/or soil  
 2 Treat, resort, reship or destroy  
 2a Treat, reship or dest roy.  Suspend pathway  
 3 Reship or destroy.  Suspend pathway