NZCQA News

Monday, 22 Nov, 2004

Following considerable industry consultation the NZCQA Task Force has agreed to proceed with the establishment of a registration based QA system to operate for the 2004 harvest and onward.

The new system will replace the current NZCQA diary system and operate on the following basis:

Growers will be required to register with the scheme, agreeing to abide by the scheme rules.
Growers will not be required to furnish existing NZCQA diaries to grain processors, but will be required to keep all relevant information on crop inputs & grain handling in a form that is ultimately auditable. For most growers this is likely to involve no change from their existing diary or computer based systems.
For the first two seasons grain processors will have the option of auditing grower information at the cost of those processors. This is likely to be a simple request for diary type information to be furnished.
Further development of the new scheme is likely after the initial two seasons, ultimately providing for independent random audits at cost of growers. Further consultation will take place before any changes are made.
Grain processors will have access to the registration database to confirm individual grower registration.
Some grain processors may chose to make the furnishing of further information a contractual obligation.

The NZCQA Taskforce urges all growers to support this industry initiative so that consumers may have ultimate confidence in locally produced grain. The new scheme will hopefully satisfy the needs and concerns of all industry participants. Particularly, grower concerns over registration charges have been allayed, by allowing two seasons registration free of charge.

Processors are showing their support by making registration a contractual obligation for the 2004 harvest. Significantly, the NZ Flour Millers Association has resolved that members will only purchase grain from registered growers from the 2006 harvest.

Maize growers are being invited to join the scheme because of obvious synergies. This decision has been made in consultation with processors and the Maize Growers Subsection of Federated Farmers of New Zealand.

The taskforce is presently developing the scheme rules package. It is anticipated that these will be sent to all registered growers later in the year. In the meantime, please return a registration form as soon as possible so that registration numbers may be allocated.

Download Registration Form (35k word doc)

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