THE Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Forestry is to finalise an inquiry into the causes of destruction into a shipment of watermelons from Tonga headed for the New Zealand market.
Nishi Trading dispatched two 40-ft containers for New Zealand, which arrived December 17th in Auckland, but about 80% of the shipment was damaged and could not enter the market.
The crops’ owners and the exporter are seeking compensation for the losses.
Nishi Trading lost more than $40,000 due to the damage. The majority of the funds recovered from the fruits that made it to the market were given to the growers, and the shipping agency has waived the freight fees.
Company Director Minoru Nishi Jr, said he has conducted an independent investigation into the cause of the destruction, with findings that pointed to a misuse of the recently NZ-donated fumigation plant.
The investigator and surveyor, Quality Bureau Ltd of Auckland stated in its report:
“[The] damage appeared not to be due to any naturally occurring pathogen. Therefore it is possible this could have been due to the fruit’s reaction to fumigation in Tonga.”
Nishi says he even has information that indicate “deliberate” damage to his melons by the plant’s operators- the Quarantine Department, because of conflict of interest issues with one of the department directors, who is reported to have interests in the melon business to New Zealand.
It is clear that another pending case before the Public Service Commission- between the same exporter and the same director- because of comments made by the director to tarnish the exporter because they had competing business interests.
He said even if the operators were under-skilled and not trained properly, or the damaged was intentional, “someone is not supposed to be there.”
“Apparently this is not just a setback for us individually, but the whole export industry itself,” said Minoru.
When his watermelons arrived in New Zealand, there were patches of decay on the melons, barring most of it from the market.
“But my independent investigation has established that the damages were not caused by pre-shipment activities like bruises. Our melons reached the market within 10 days of harvest,” he said.
Minoru has met the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Lord Vaea, the Ministry CEO Vailala Matoto, and other stakeholders including Tonga Development Bank, from which the growers borrowed from for the melons.
![[Image: ttm.JPG]](http://jeffreybert.fileave.com/ttm.JPG)
Damage watermelons -'The damages appeared to be caused by some chemical burn'.
'Aia kuo ma'u ha fakamo'oni pau ki he maumau 'a e uta melenii ? Koe fo'ui 'o hai ? Quarantine ? kautaha vaka ? growers ? exporters ? 'Oku ma'u 'e Minoru Jnr ha taukei fe'unga 'i he ngaaue ni ? Na'e general cardo pe refrigerated 'a e utaa.
Mou kataki atu totongi e meleni ia e kakai ,kae toki fkkaukau'i pe kohai tene folo e fo'i fkmole ko'ena na'a mou toe tafoki hake pe 'o teke'i kihe kau ngoue kenau fua,kae na'e 'osi fai pe kau ngoue kiho'o mou fkhinohino.
Koe me'a e ne talaa 'ave kakai totonu kihe potungaue totonu he ne nau ako kihe mala'e koia.
Tahataha tama 'ae uluaki aliaki e kau ngoue pea pala 'ae 'uta meleni ia,Koe palopalema tatau pe 'ena moe 'uta ufi he aho koee,pea hoko ai e ng fetuku'aki.....koe sio pe 'eni mei he aho koeee, ka fkahu(fumigate) 'e uta mei Tonga 'oku fiema'u ka hili pe fkahu pea fkavaava e koniteina he 24hrs ke fehu'aki e air 'o circulate kene puhi kitu'a e kasa 'oe fumigate,ka 'ikai temou sio kimoutolu kihe ofungia 'ae meleni he air mafana pea hoko ai 'ae mohomoho e meleni 'o fktupunga pala hange ko'ene asi he taaaaaaaaa,pea kapau 'oku tuku mokomoko he koniteina,fiemau ke 'ilo 'ae mokomoko lelei pea tauhi ke tonu mei hono fkheka 'o a'u kihe maketi ki NZ, koe fie tokoni atu pe, ka 'ikai 'e hoko e fetuhu'aki hange koia kuo kamata?
(02-16-2011 03:08 AM)'Oua e Fiu Wrote: [ -> ]Tahataha tama 'ae uluaki aliaki e kau ngoue pea pala 'ae 'uta meleni ia,Koe palopalema tatau pe 'ena moe 'uta ufi he aho koee,pea hoko ai e ng fetuku'aki.....koe sio pe 'eni mei he aho koeee, ka fkahu(fumigate) 'e uta mei Tonga 'oku fiema'u ka hili pe fkahu pea fkavaava e koniteina he 24hrs ke fehu'aki e air 'o circulate kene puhi kitu'a e kasa 'oe fumigate,ka 'ikai temou sio kimoutolu kihe ofungia 'ae meleni he air mafana pea hoko ai 'ae mohomoho e meleni 'o fktupunga pala hange ko'ene asi he taaaaaaaaa,pea kapau 'oku tuku mokomoko he koniteina,fiemau ke 'ilo 'ae mokomoko lelei pea tauhi ke tonu mei hono fkheka 'o a'u kihe maketi ki NZ, koe fie tokoni atu pe, ka 'ikai 'e hoko e fetuhu'aki hange koia kuo kamata?
Koeee . koe me'a eee 'oku tau loto ai ke 'ai e taha taukei moe kakai mei he mala'e totonu ke ngaue he potungaue. 'Oku logical pe e fo'i 'aliaki ia 'a 'Oua e Fiu ka 'oku fu'u kua pe 'uto ia 'o e kau ngaue 'oku nau tokanga'i e me'a ko ena. Faka'ofa atu pe koe si'i kau ngoue he kuo 'osi mahino pe ia he taimi ni te nau fua pe kanongatamaki e me'a ni he kuo kamata kei hengihengia pe e fetuhu'aki. 'E ngata 'afee e vale moe tulitonuhia 'ae pule'anga?
MALIE PALANGI, TUHU'I O TUKUAKI'I E MOTUA NGOUE MEI 'UTA HE OKU IKAI KENE 'ILO HA ME'A, PEA IKAI HAANE FAKAMOONI PAU.
NA'E FUFULU E CONTAINER?? NA'E LAVA E AIR TEMPERATURE NA'E I HE CONTAINER KE MAITAIN A E LELEI OE MELENI?? HOIIIII LAHI 'E TAU LEA.
(02-15-2011 01:00 PM)kolukalu Wrote: [ -> ]
THE Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Forestry is to finalise an inquiry into the causes of destruction into a shipment of watermelons from Tonga headed for the New Zealand market.
Nishi Trading dispatched two 40-ft containers for New Zealand, which arrived December 17th in Auckland, but about 80% of the shipment was damaged and could not enter the market.
The crops’ owners and the exporter are seeking compensation for the losses.
Nishi Trading lost more than $40,000 due to the damage. The majority of the funds recovered from the fruits that made it to the market were given to the growers, and the shipping agency has waived the freight fees.
Company Director Minoru Nishi Jr, said he has conducted an independent investigation into the cause of the destruction, with findings that pointed to a misuse of the recently NZ-donated fumigation plant.
The investigator and surveyor, Quality Bureau Ltd of Auckland stated in its report:
“[The] damage appeared not to be due to any naturally occurring pathogen. Therefore it is possible this could have been due to the fruit’s reaction to fumigation in Tonga.”
Nishi says he even has information that indicate “deliberate” damage to his melons by the plant’s operators- the Quarantine Department, because of conflict of interest issues with one of the department directors, who is reported to have interests in the melon business to New Zealand.
It is clear that another pending case before the Public Service Commission- between the same exporter and the same director- because of comments made by the director to tarnish the exporter because they had competing business interests.
He said even if the operators were under-skilled and not trained properly, or the damaged was intentional, “someone is not supposed to be there.”
“Apparently this is not just a setback for us individually, but the whole export industry itself,” said Minoru.
When his watermelons arrived in New Zealand, there were patches of decay on the melons, barring most of it from the market.
“But my independent investigation has established that the damages were not caused by pre-shipment activities like bruises. Our melons reached the market within 10 days of harvest,” he said.
Minoru has met the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Lord Vaea, the Ministry CEO Vailala Matoto, and other stakeholders including Tonga Development Bank, from which the growers borrowed from for the melons.
Damage watermelons -'The damages appeared to be caused by some chemical burn'.
After investigations, it turned out that the fumigation process that was carried out in Tonga caused the problem. It was a huge waste and a lost of lot of money – both exporters and the growers too.
The exporters requested a fumigation specialist from New Zealand to work with the quarantine department in Tonga for at least one year. Just to ensure the local workers are able to carry out the whole process correctly and up to standard, so this type of thing won’t happen again.
'E, vakai lelei atu pe 'ae fo'i fkkonahi ko'eni 'ae kakava 'oe kakai,he kuo ala atu 'ae taki 'oe paati POMAO mo'ene kautama 'oku nau ngaue he uafu 'o fai 'ae pango ko'ena, puke kotoa atu kinautolu 'o fkmaau'i,pea 'e toki 'ilo kotoa kimui 'ae Mastermind kihe me'ani,