KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 ― The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) confiscated cowpat, which is a mixture of cow dung and hay, from an inbound Malaysian traveller last week, according to a news report today.
Described as “one of the most unusual interceptions of the summer,” the cowpat was discovered at the Auckland Airport and was brought over for burning at a Hindu temple at Otahuhu.
“We can't permit them to enter New Zealand as they could contain unwanted seeds, parasites or even plant or animal diseases that could harm the livelihood of farmers and growers,” MPI Auckland Airport manager Dave Sims was quoted as saying to the New Zealand Herald.
“The great thing in this case is the passenger declared the pat. They did everything we asked to safeguard New Zealand's biosecurity,” he added.
Sims said that while such a discovery was rare, he noted that cowpats would likely become more common as they are now a commercial product with websites selling them and some even offering to gift wrap them.
