MAF doesn’t know how 7000 Chinese strawberry growing kits were imported into New Zealand and sold without ever going through quarantine.

A product recall has been issued for the Buzzy Strawberry Mini Grow kits which were imported and sold by the Warehouse between September 1 and November 12.

More than 1350 kits were sold during this time and now MAF is urging people who bought them to destroy them as the seeds could introduce viral diseases to New Zealand’s crops.

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Response Manager, Glen Neal, says MAF is still working out how the imported strawberries managed to avoid quarantine.

"They were expected as I understand it. Quite why that inspection didn’t result in them being diverted into quarantine is something we need to assess.

"That could be paperwork. Did the person inspecting them have the right information in front of them? All sorts of things could have contributed to that."

Federated Farmers biosecurity spokesman Dr William Rolleston says it’s clear there has been a big biosecurity failure by MAF. 

"We have been given an assurance that the intelligence systems used by MAF are robust and this is a failing that is going to require some soul searching by MAF I would have thought." 

And Horticulture New Zealand president Andrew Fenton says it is vital that consumers return or destroy their growing kits.

"It poses a risk for the strawberry industry in New Zealand and that’s why the recall that the Warehouse has facilitated is so important.

"It’s absolutely vital that we get the support of all the public and return all those kits to the Warehouse for a refund."