Assurance That Enables Export - A Collaborative Approach to Residue Testing, Assurance, and Market Access for New Zealand Onion Growers

For New Zealand’s onion industry, export success relies on more than growing a high‑quality crop. With around 80% of onions produced for international markets, the ability to consistently meet residue, assurance, and regulatory requirements is essential to maintaining market access and enabling smooth trade.  

Onions New Zealand, the industry body representing onion growers and exporters, works closely with Hill Labs to support their assurance system through residue testing, determining the levels of residues present on the product.  Based in Wellington, Onions New Zealand is governed by a board of grower and exporter representatives, alongside an independent chair. The organisation is supported by a small specialist team with expertise in biosecurity, trade, research, and regulation, representing approximately 75 growers.  

Kazi Talaska, General Manager of Onions New Zealand, describes the organisation as an advocacy body focused on supporting the long-term success of the sector.   

“When we think of success, we think of sustainability, we think of profitability, we think of growth, and we think of how we're going to build the resilience within our sector to continue that trajectory.  

“What makes onions a little bit unique in terms of the vegetable sector landscape is that it's predominantly export.”  

Since most of New Zealand’s onion crop is destined for overseas markets, securing and maintaining market access is central to the work of Onions NZ. This involves negotiating trade conditions and maintaining the quality, compliance, and standards required by both international and domestic markets. Alongside this, Onions NZ supports applied research, industry leadership, and information sharing across growers, government, and the wider supply chain to help shape and strengthen the sector.  

Assurance as the foundation for market access  

Assurance sits at the centre of that resilience. Onion growers produce multiple vegetable crops and must comply with overlapping assurance schemes and regulations. Domestically, this includes the Food Act and New Zealand GAP, while internationally it extends to GLOBALG.A.P. and importing country requirements.  

“Because the onion sector is 80% export, we're very cognisant of being able to meet those requirements to enable smooth trade and also enable access to new markets.”  

Residue testing forms a critical component of this framework. It provides the evidence that all on‑farm, storage, and packing practices have worked as intended, and that produce is compliant with Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) for domestic and international markets.   

Through a voluntary residue assurance programme run by Onions New Zealand, the partnership with Hill Labs helps streamline growers’ access to residue testing while also enabling industry level oversight and reporting.  Hill Labs carries out accredited residue testing for market compliance, while Onions New Zealand supplies the relevant MRLs sourced from MPI and importing countries. Test results are assessed against market specific limits, allowing both growers and the industry body to respond appropriately.  

If positive detections occur, we work with growers to ensure any issues can be efficiently rectified where needed. Test results are also assessed by Onions New Zealand against the relevant maximum residue limits (MRLs), which vary by market. This process ensures growers can meet both New Zealand and importing country MRL requirements.  

Hill Labs also assists Onions NZ with the aggregated reporting of seasonal results. This consolidated data provides visibility of residue trends across the country and supports reporting to MPI, regulators, and importing markets.  

Residue testing sits as the final step in a much larger assurance system, extending from crop protection choices made throughout the growing season to post‑harvest handling and storage. Accuracy, consistency, and laboratory accreditation are essential, as test results underpin both regulatory confidence and commercial decision making.  

This responsiveness is particularly important during peak export season, when reliable turnaround times help growers and exporters plan packing, labelling, and shipping with confidence.  

“We're dealing with a perishable product at the end of the day... efficient food safety systems contribute to the smooth and timely delivery of product to the customer to enjoy.”  

Partnership, communication, and future resilience  

The partnership with Hill Labs is strengthened through direct communication and operational flexibility. Having a dedicated point of contact provides clarity, continuity, and consistency, further reinforcing the relationship, says Kazi.  

Clear communication channels and efficient, predictable testing processes help reduce the compliance burden on growers. This reliability is essential for business viability, particularly for those navigating complex regulatory requirements across multiple crops and export markets.  

“It's absolutely a pivotal part of the puzzle, assurances that is, to be able to provide healthy, fresh and quality products to not only the domestic market, but all the markets overseas. Part of that assurance space to make sure that customers can guarantee that they're receiving that quality and fresh produce.”  

Beyond meeting compliance requirements, residue testing data also supports longer-term improvement across the industry. The data contributes to on-farm research and helps growers manage crop protection strategies more effectively, Kazi explains. While crop protection products will continue to play an important role in vegetable production, access to high-quality data supports better decision-making and informs research into future practices.  

“We absolutely need partnership, support, and a way to grow our relationship in terms of research, because those are the things that are also going to help move the dial into the future,” Kazi says.  

By combining accredited testing, reliable turnaround times, clear reporting, and strong communication, the partnership between Onions New Zealand and Hill Labs delivers confidence that supports export market access today while building resilience for the future.