The Equine Health Association has been working with MPI for a number of years to develop plans for disease surveillance/prevention and response. The GIA (Government Industry Agreements) are a requirement between Government and each agricultural sector so there are clear plans and responsibilities including who funds any response.

A lot of thought has gone into how the equine industries can collect a Levy so we have funds to pay for readiness work and reserves for response.

The importance of this has recently been highlighted with a mare testing positive to Piroplasmosis, a disease that New Zealand was free from. Considerable work has gone into testing and tracing contact horses so we can hopefully regain this status. This comes at a cost and the EHA is responsible for 50% of this. In the meantime there is extra testing and cost for horses to be able to leave New Zealand.

The New Zealand Equine Health Association wishes to notify that a Biosecurity (Readiness and Response) Levy has been set and will be placed on Horses and Horse Germplasm at a rate of $100 per imported or exported horse, $20 for each imported or exported frozen embryo, $10 for each imported or exported fresh chilled inseminating dose and $1 per frozen semen straw.  

This rate will not come into effect before 11 September 2020 however importers and exporters should build this fee into costings from 12 September 2020 but actual invoicing of this levy will not take place until 28 days after the levy order is gazetted.

For any clarification and information then call your industry representative: see https://nzeha.com/committee-contacts/