9. Question No. 9—AgricultureTEANAU TUIONO (Green) to the Minister of AgricultureQuestion No. 9—Agriculture9. TEANAU TUIONO (Green) to the Minister of Agriculture: What advice if any has he received on the economic impacts of international markets rejecting New Zealand products due to glyphosate residues?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister of Agriculture): Kia ora. I received advice in February that Japan had implemented 100 percent testing for glyphosate in all honey from New Zealand. Any consignment that does not pass the test on arrival in Japan must either be reshipped or destroyed. I understand that a very small number of consignments of honey had been directly affected as a result. Since 21 January the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has introduced new requirements for glyphosate testing here prior to export to Japan. If the test results do not comply MPI will not issue export certification for that consignment of honey. I have not had such advice relating to any other international markets.Teanau Tuiono: Is he concerned that the continued use of Roundup and other glyphosate products in New Zealand is causing economic and reputational damage to our growing $425 million honey industry following these rejections of exports by Japanese authorities?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: I take New Zealand's reputation as a healthy ethical food producer very very seriously. It's important to note that in regards to residues of glyphosate it's not considered a food safety issue but we are aware that internationally there's much discussion on this. But can we reassure people about residue levels. For example a five-year-old child who was consuming honey with 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of glyphosate residues which is the default maximum residue level in New Zealand would need to eat roughly 230 kilograms of honey every day for the rest of their life to reach the World Health Organization acceptable daily intake for glyphosate. I'm just saying that we recognise it is an issue but it's not a food safety issue.Teanau Tuiono: Is he concerned that New Zealand is falling behind international practice given markets we export to including Japan and the European Union have stronger standards regulating glyphosate in honey than we do?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: I'm aware that we do use glyphosate across our agricultural sectors. We don't at the same levels that they use in countries where there are genetically modified organism crops that allow the widespread use of glyphosate on food crops. We don't allow that. So we have a far lower rate of utilisation usually for weed control. Regarding honey it is difficult to know exactly where the bees fly and I think the challenge for the apiculture industry is to try and ensure that they don't end up with residues from sprayed areas like alongside the roadsides that end up in the honey. That's why we are testing prior to any export.Teanau Tuiono: Following his February statement relating to mānuka honey that we need to ensure it's made to the high standards that international customers expect" is he concerned that international customers will stop buying New Zealand primary products if we continue to allow the use of glyphosate; if not why not?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: Most countries around the world do use glyphosate. We're aware of the European approach to this that is still working its way through. We're aware of Japan's sensitivities to it. We will test any products that we think may be contaminated or have a maximum residue limit level that is above any level that might be considered safe.Teanau Tuiono: Will he consider placing new restrictions on the use of glyphosate to protect the international future of New Zealand's primary sector producers?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: At this stage we have no proposals to restrict it other than to encourage farmers to use it carefully to make sure they don't spray in the wind so that there's a flow-on effect to any neighbour to make sure that—we're cautious with the use of any chemical in this country. We have robust regimes. We must keep them and ensure that we can claim—and rightfully support the science that says—that we're the best producers of food in the world."