The Plants Market Access Council Incorporated

The Plants Market Access Council Incorporated (PMAC) has been established to provide a legal entity which facilitates the engagement of Plant Product Industry representatives with MPI and MFAT officials. These parties work together to improve access for New Zealand plant products to international markets. 

This is achieved by optimising the use of cost recovered funds that MPI collects from the plant sectors and improving communication between the Government officials and Industry.

PMAC's history

1992: PMACC Market Access Consultative Committee – Plants  formed so the Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) could consult on the use of cost recovered funds

1996:  Review by the MAF Director-General resulted in PMACC restructure so it could  act as an industry voice and work with MAF on the setting of standards and policies that affect industry costs.  

1998: PMACC  developed an MOU with MAF and became an Incorporated society

1999: MAF restructures into MAF Biosecurity Authority( the  provider of  phytosanitary certification)  and  the NZ Food Safety Authority (responsible for grade, food safety and organic requirements).

2001: PMACC becomes  (PMAC) to enable a single joint industry/MAF Biosecurity/ NZFSA consultative body. Representatives from these organisations sit on the Executive Council as voting members. Other changes included:

• Changes to the Membership Rules to encourage greater participation by sector groups and with automatic positions on the Council held by representatives from the vegetable, kiwifruit, and pipfruit industries.
• Changes to the rules to provide a framework for the employment of an Executive Secretary.

The rules agreed had this time have remained fundamentally unchanged but have been updated. See a full set of the current rules.

2004 - 06 : PMAC web site developed and PMAC Strategy published

2008: The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) joined PMAC recognising the importance of  MFAT staff being  familiar with market access issues for plant product exporters

2010: An independent Chair was appointed to PMAC to facilitate consensus at meetings and represent PMAC views to external parties.  PMAC Strategy updated

2012: MAF amalgamates with NZFSA and the Ministry of Fisheries to become the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)

2015: Article produced describing PMAC a partnership that works

2016: Michael Ahie appointed as independent Chairperson.

2017: PMAC Strategy updated and MPI service Charter developed

PMAC Meetings

PMAC meets quarterly to discuss and monitor progress.  Meeting dates for 2022 are:

• 22/2/2022 – virtual
• 30/5/2022  with potential Bay of Plenty Field trip on the following day
• 16/8/2022- in Wellington or virtual
• 7/11/2022- in Wellington or virtual

(Note It is possible to have an agenda items added to the next PMAC meeting by contacting an Industry representative  in advance of the meeting.  Agenda items and supporting information must be provided to PMAC’s Executive Officer at least two weeks before the target meeting date. )

A meeting summary documenting  each meetings key discussions is available from one of PMAC’s   Industry representatives within   two to three weeks of  the meeting

Where MPI requires more technical input into the work being undertaken with cost recovered funds  working groups are convened to provide that input.
Terms of References for these working groups are approved by PMAC and regular report backs are made to the Council. As at January 2022 active working groups have been established for the:

• Fruit Fly Incursion Contingency project
• Produce Food safety assurances project
• Optimising access to Australia to enhance access following removal of Australia’s off shore inspection programme.
• Strengthening NZ’s Plant Exports assurances to ensure the New Zealand’s assurance remain appropriate for the changing requirement of International trade  
  

Cost recovered funding collected by MPI

MPI’s collects funds as part of  the phytosanitary certificate fees charged to exporters who obtain a certificate to facilitate market entry.

It is the work plan associated with these funds that PMAC discusses. During these discussions Industry members provide advice on how the funds can be best used.

Collection of the funds and planning for their use

 Funds are collected as part of the cost of the phytosanitary certificate. These funds are deliberately cost recovered by Government from industry so that they can be used to support activities that benefit that industry.

As of  1 August 2016, the phytosanitary certificate fees have been maintained as:

• $22.29 (normally $24.77) for non-food plant products ($25.63 incl GST).
• $34.46 (normally $38.29) for food plant products ($39.63 incl GST)

These fees are likely to be reviewed by MPI's cost recovery team in either 2022 or 2023.

In the 2020/21 year, 41,220 certificates were issued collecting approximately  $1.4 million. About 6,200 of these certificates were for non-food products and 35.000 were for edible fruit and vegetables. It is unusual for processed fruit and vegetables to require a phytosanitary certificate for entry to key markets.


Phytosanitary certificates
A phytosanitary certificate is provided to exporters where the product has been:

• produced in line with agreed protocols, or
• cleared in an “end point inspection”.

A phytosanitary certificate accompanies a plant export, independent of the size of the export. The number of phytocertificates is therefore not proportional to the volume or value of plant products exported, instead matching the number of consignments that are sent.

Phytosanitary certificates are available for:  

• Fresh fruit
• Processed fruit
• Fresh vegetables
• Processed vegetables
• Flowers and foliage
• Plants, bulbs and seeds (flower, vegetable and tree)
• Arable seeds
• Forest products.

Information on how to export and requirements for obtaining  a phytosanitary certificate can be found on the MPI web site

​PMAC funds are collected in the phytocertificate fees for all of these products except forestry products. Use of fees from forestry phytocertificates are considered by  the Forest Produce Export Committee (FPEC). 


MPI's Annual  Budget for the use of cost recovered funds

​ Industry and Government members meet 4 to 6 times a year to agree strategies and  discuss and prioritise market access activities .

An annual  budget and accompanying workplan is developed by MPI and after discussion endorsed by PMAC.   The workplan funds activity in the Plant Exports and Market Access teams. Once the budget is agreed, the phytocertificate fees for the year are set.

This budget is aligned with  MPI’s financial year which runs from 1 July to 30 June.

Progress on the PMAC budget is reported quarterly to the entire Council and is reported on annually in the PMAC Annual report released in October. The most recent  being for the 2020/21 year

Work to support plant exports within MPI receives little  government funding . MPI officials working in this area are mainly  supported either by

• the cost recovered funds,  or,
•  fees paid by individual sectors and organisations requiring assistance with market access issues.