Guidelines

These guidelines can assist businesses meet the requirements of NZGAP

The guidance documents have been developed by a number of organizations and cover a range of topics relevant to NZGAP:

 

 

Further information is also available in the NZGAP scheme rules and growers may contact an NZGAP advisers for help in preparation for an audit:


NZGAP Licence Agreement

Food Safety Guidelines

Title Click to Download Document              Tools/Templates      Description Source
             
FPSC-Fundamentals Guidelines 2025               These guidelines are designed to assist growers, packers, transporters, wholesalers,
retailers and others involved in the fresh produce supply chain to identify and assess
potential food safety hazards		 Fresh Produce
Safety Centre
Australia & New Zealand
           
  
Guidelines for Off-label use of Agrichemicals         

1. Decision Tree for Determining if an Agrichemical can be used Off-label
  
2. Checklist for ensuring Compliance on Off-label use


3. Poster on Off-label use   


   Off-label use of agrichemicals is needed to manage pests, diseases and weeds in a number of minor fruit
and vegetable crops. This guide provides growers with practical information around off-label use of
agrichemicals to ensure growers meet regulatory requirements under the ACVM, HSNO, HSWA and Food Acts.		   NZGAP
           
  
Generic IPM Guideline for Vegetable Crops         While an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to pest and disease management is generally crop-specific,
the component and principles of an IPM programme are more generic. This guideline provides information on these generic aspects of IPM.		     VR&I 
             
           
  
 Fact sheet on management of
animals with crop production		          Fact sheet

GMP template 		     
        

 		  
 
 Fact sheet on food defence for the fresh produce industry          Link to website   .The guidance can help growers, packers, and processors determine a tailored approach to food defence.  The Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia & New Zealand (FPSC) 
           
  

 
Other Food Safety Guidelines

 

Health and Safety Guidelines

Title   Click to Download Document           Tools/Templates Description Source
             
Keep Safe, Keep Growing: How to be healthy and safe in horticulture       WORKSAFE : How to be healthy and safe in horticulture   

This guide is about protecting the productivity of your farm and the lifestyle you enjoy. This guide will help you work out the best way for you to identify, manage and communicate health and safety risks to family and workers plus what part other people on farm should play in risk management.

 HortNZ, Worksafe

Social Practice Guidelines

Title   Click to Download
Document 		          Tools/Templates Description  Source
             
Guidance to Assist the Development
of Seasonal Workers
Accommodation.  		       This guidance document has been prepared by Horticulture New Zealand to assist growers in developing seasonal workers accommodation (SWA). This document aims to summarise the most relevant legislation that needs to be considered when designing and building SWA, hopefully assisting growers to more effectively liaise with Council's and future proof the accommodation they provide.   HortNZ
           
  
 

Worksafe- Worker
Accommodation 
Fact Sheet 



       This fact sheet provides guidance for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) who provide accommodation to
workers as part of the job. 		  Worksafe
             

Environment Guidelines 

The HortNZ Environmental codes of practice are aimed at supporting growers to effectively manage nutrient and sediment losses from their operations and meet regulatory requirements. All the codes can be found on the HortNZ website.

Title Click to Download Document          Tools/Templates  Description  Source 
       
 
Soil and Drainage Management Guide       Management of drainage water on a property will influence how much soil movement occurs during rain. These guidelines have been split into two parts: Paddock Drainage and Erosion and Sediment Control. Franklin Sustainability
Project
         
  
Nutrient Management for Vegetable crops in NZ       This book is intended to be a resource of best-practice advice to manage the nutrition of vegetable crops in New Zealand (NZ).  VR&I
         
  
 N-Quick Test Guideline and Tool      N-Quick Test Tool
This is a step by step guide on how to use the Nitrate Quick Test Mass Balance Tool to inform an N fertiliser decision:

• How to use the mass balance equation.
• Taking the soil sample.
• Using the Nitrate Quick Test to estimate the mineral N levels in your soil.
• Crop nutrient demands.
• Using the Nitrate Quick Test Mass Balance Tool.

The Nitrate Quick Test Mass Balance Tool is an easy to use electronic tool available on the
industry websites.		 VR&I
FAR
         
  
Vegetated Buffer Strips Code of Practice       This Code of Practice, checklist, decision tree, and action plan is a guide to assist growers in making decisions to installing and maintaining vegetated buffer strips.  AGRILINK NZ