Technical Bulletin No.14 - BioGro

BioGro New Zealand Technical Bulletin Issue 14 | November 2010Q: Where can I check if a treatment would be compliant?A: First find out all ingredients (100% formulation) of that treatment then check with the BioGro office.Q: My property is BioGro certified but not certified or in conversion to the USDA NOP or the COR at the moment. If in future Idecide to produce for the US and/or Canada markets, how does the use of treated timber on my property affect myconversion to the NOP and/or the COR ?A: You will need to show compliance to these regulations, ie as per our 26 June 2009 notification, Technical Bulletins 12 and 13, andthis update notification. If you use new or recycled treated posts and/or timber after 1 July 2010 then you will not be able to gainNOP certification on your products until at least 3 years after that use. If you use new or recycled (other than recycled within yourproperty) treated posts and/or timber after 1 July 2010 then you will not be able to gain COR certification on your products until atleast 3 years after that use.Q: I want to register for conversion to NOP and/or COR certification after 1 July 2010. How will this affect my registrationdate, will my past use of treated posts and timber be considered as a last prohibited input?A: Yes, see answer to previous question. Your past use of treated posts and timber will be judged against what was allowed at thetime.Q: My property is certified to the USDA NOP, can I withdraw from NOP certification, then make repairs or build newA: Yes.constructions with treated posts and timber, then reconvert over 3 years to being NOP certified again ?Q: My orchard is certified to the USDA NOP, if I replace say just one post in the crop support structure of a row can I justwithdraw that row only from NOP certification or do I have to withdraw the whole block ?A: The whole block will lose certification because we don’t believe it is practical, or would be acceptable to USDA, to decertify a smallarea within a certified orchard block. Also see next Q&A re COR.Q: My property is certified to the COR, can I withdraw part or all of my property from COR certification, then make repairs orbuild new constructions with brought in treated posts and timber, then reconvert over 3 years to being COR certifiedagain ?A: No, refer: CAN/CGSB–32.310 clause 5.1.6: Production units shall not be alternated between organic and non-organic productionmethods, and http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/orgbio/comqueste.shtml which provides Q&As on COR, note Q6. Thismeans that part or all of a COR certified property can not be withdrawn from COR certification for a purpose such as using broughtin treated posts and/or timber then returned to COR certification.Q: What are the alternatives to treated post and timber ?A: NOP and COR compliant fencing and building materials include:• Metal such as steel and aluminium, including with galvanised and other coatings;• Concrete;• Plastic;• Untreated posts and timber which are suitable for that purpose. Examples are untreated timber (eg douglas fir, macrocarpa,some eucalypts, untreated pine) used for building framing where allowed under building codes, and ground durable timbers (egmacrocarpa, robinia, chestnut, and some eucalypts) for posts/poles and raised beds;• Posts and timber treated with materials which are suitable for that purpose and are listed as allowed for this purpose in the NOPor COR respectively.Organics Aotearoa NZ (OANZ) have compiled a list of alternatives which are available, called “Over the Fencepost”, and arerunning workshops on this throughout NZ during November 2010. Refer www.oanz.org.nz for more details.Q: Can imported posts / timber which have been heat treated or fumigated be used ?A: Heat treated posts / timber can be used. Fumigated posts / timber in general can’t be used, but BioGro can consider this on a caseby case basis depending on the fumigant to be used and the process.10 of 14