Working to ensure imported mud not a biosecurity concern

You may have read online or seen in your local paper that the Rotorua Lakes Council are planning on importing Korean mud to be used during a festival later in the year.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has been working with the Council to ensure that there are no biosecurity risks associated with the shipment.

The product in this case is clay (but called ‘mud’) that has been firstly milled and filtered to remove any possible organic material, then heat treated, dried and crushed into a fine powder, before then being irradiated.

These treatments will make the clay sterile, therefore removing any biosecurity risks.

KVH’s only interest in this matter is to ensure there is no biosecurity risk for kiwifruit growers from the import.