We provide leadership on plant industry market access

Industry and Government members meet  four to six times a year to agree strategies, discuss and prioritise market access activities undertaken by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)  and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT).   PMAC members provide advice and input into:

• MPI’s strategic  approach to market access activities (e.g. ranks overseas  markets to inform MPI's involvement in market access activity with specific markets)
• Items on MPI’s annual workplan for the plant exports technical and market access groups 
• The development of export assurance programmes
• MPI’s input to Free Trade Agreements  and to WTO meetings
• Communication of new developments  and issues  that may impact sectors.

Our leadership

Dr Michael Ahie – Chairperson

Helen Gear – Executive Officer

Michael Ahie was appointed Independent Chair of PMAC on 1 July 2016. He replaced Russ Ballard who was Chair for six years.
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Michael has a strong background in primary industry and in governance. He is currently Chancellor of Massey University; Chair of the Board of ComplyWith and Chair of Plant and Food Research. He is also a director of FMG and Spring Sheep Milk Co; a member of the New Zealand Food Safety and Assurance Advisory Council and of Inland Revenue's Risk and Assurance Committee. Before becoming involved in governance, Michael worked with a number of multinational companies including Toyota New Zealand Ltd, the New Zealand Dairy Board and Wrightson Ltd and was a founding partner of leadership and business coaching company AltusQ.

Helen Gear administers PMAC’s affairs from her office in Wellington. She is responsible for the coordination of all PMAC activity and services.
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For 22 years Helen owned and ran a wholesale Plant Nursery (Heritage Horticulture) in the Waikato between 1980 and 2002. A brief foray into the export of rose plants in the 1990s proved to be uneconomic but very educational. In 2002, Helen moved to Wellington and worked for the Foundation for Research Science and Technology for four years, after which she contracted to a number of Government departments including: DOC, ERMA NZ (now the EPA) and MAF Biosecurity New Zealand. With this range of experience, she appreciates the range of perspectives at the PMAC table and is familiar with industry issues and agency processes.

Our membership

Plant Industry Representatives

Government Agency Representatives

Rosemarie 274 451 309 
Andy Warren
Flower growers
(021) 506 000
andy@bloomz.co.nz

Thomas Chin 
Seed industry
(021) 679 989 
thomas.chin@seedindustrynz.co.nz

Roger Gilbertson
New Zealand Apple and Pears
(027) 545 647
Roger@applesandpears.nz

Jen Scoular
New Zealand Avocado
(021) 480 407
jen.scoular@nzavocado.co.nz

Mick Ahern
Onions NZ
(021) 753 153 
michael.ahern@onionsnz.com

Peter Ward
SGS
(027) 540 9542 
peter.ward@sgs.com

Andrew Still
AsureQuality 
(021) 289 9762
Andrew.Still@asurequality.com

Massimo (Max) Ciccioni
The AgriChain Centre
(0274) 451 309
mciccioni@agrichain-centre.com

Rosemarie Dawson
Executive Director CBAFF
(09) 419 0042
rosemarie@CBAFF.org.nz

Paul Turner
Nursery industry
(021) 270 7380
paul@liners.co.nz

Richard Palmer
Hort NZ
(021) 177 1337 
richard.palmer@hortnz.co.nz

Catherine Richardson
Kiwifruit
(027) 541 5647
catherine.richardson@zespri.com

Gisele Irvine
Tomato and Vegetable sectors 
(021) 116 9911
gisele@solutionz.co.nz

Simon Hegarty
HEA
(021) 708 147
simon@hea.co.nz

Tony Ponder
Exporters and kiwifruit to Australia
(027) 473 3712 
tony@southernproduce.co.nz

Chris Claridge
Potatoes NZ
(021)577387
chris.claridge@potatoesnz.co.nz

 Peter Thomson
Director MPI Plants, Food & Environment
(04) 894 0353
peter.thomson@mpi.govt.nz

Tim Knox
Director MPI Market Access
(04) 894 0165
tim.knox@mpi.govt.nz

Brian Wilson
Manager Trade and Negotiation Division
Brian.wilson@MFAT.govt.nz