There are several costs associated with organic certification:

Certification Fee

Please see the previous page for the relevant cost for your Regional Body.

Each Regional Body sets their own fee.  This fee is an annual fee. It covers the following: National Office expenses, a payment to the auditor, a payment to the Certification Manager (who is responsible for coordinating the certification process in your area), and miscellaneous expenses associated with your Regional Body. 

BioGro Production Rules

A copy of the BioGro Production Rules is a must. OFNZ grows to these rules and each Producer is required to have (and use) a copy to ensure they are conversant with the rules. There is a one off cost of $50 +GST and can only be purchased from BioGro.

Testing

At different stages of the certification process you may be required to complete various standard tests. The tests are completed by laboratories throughout the country.

These tests and their purpose are:

Soil Tests (including organic matter) - these tests are required in your first year of certification and again prior to moving to full certification. These tests help inform you of what is happening with your soil.

DDT Tests - these tests may be required by your Regional Body or Auditor. The purpose of these tests is to check DDT residues on your property. 

Multi-residue - these tests may be required by your Regional Body or Auditor. The need for this test will in part be determined by the previous land use of your property. The purpose of this test is to check the chemical residue levels.

Produce testing - these tests may be required by your Regional Body or Auditor. This is not a common test. Primarialy used to ensure that prohibited inputs (eg chemical sprays) have not been used or that residues from previous use (ie prior to certification) are not contaminating your produce now.

Your Time

Your time is the only other cost. Certification requires a certain amount of paperwork to allow for a clear audit path. The Pod Peer Review requires property visits. An efficient peer review process should see it completed within one day.