Become a Plant Pass Certified Producer

Plant Pass is Aotearoa New Zealand’s voluntary certification scheme for plant producers. With Plant Pass certification, you’re demonstrating your good practice in plant health and biosecurity readiness. Meet your requirements with one scheme and one auditor up the driveway.

New! Plant Pass Version 2.0

We've made certification clearer and more accessible for producers. Plant Pass Version 2.0 and the new sector auditor model ensure audits are practical, relevant and easier to apply in day-to-day operations.

About Plant Pass Version 2.0

Register today with Plant Pass

Plant Pass accommodates all plant producers. Whether you are a big or small organisation, commercial, iwi or community, container or inground, the Plant Pass scheme is designed to suit your needs.

Fill in the registration form and email it to: office@plantpass.org.nz. We'll send you the registration pack, which includes all documents to get you underway.

See the form for costs including annual registration fee and audits.

Download the Plant Pass Producer Registration Form (PDF)

Plant Pass works for producers like you

Nurseries underpin our country’s economic success in domestic and export fruit and vegetable, viticulture, forestry, greenlife (amenity and garden), urban and afforestation markets. However, nurseries face increasingly complex rules and measures to manage biosecurity requirements and emerging pest and disease risks. Plant Pass certification is the solution – meet all your requirements with one auditor up the driveway. As a Plant Pass Certified Producer, you help protect the future of your business and your industry.

See all Certified Producers in the Plant Pass Register

Benefits for producers

One auditor up the driveway

Meet requirements for biosecurity readiness and response, traceability, pest plants and weeds. Plant Pass is a science-based framework, widely recognised for protecting plants and the environment.

01
Buyers ask for Plant Pass

The growing Plant Pass Partners network encourages plant buyers and other organisations that influence and specify plant purchases to source from Plant Pass Certified Producers. 

02
Better production processes

Plant Pass Certified Producers consistently report that their systems run better, their staff are more engaged and they produce better plants. Discover the difference that Plant Pass certification makes to your business outcomes. 

03

  • "It hasn’t cost us a lot of money but we’ve made some good changes, including improving labelling and putting stainless steel tops on two of our rolling tables."

    —Bianca Kitchin, Plant Pass Champion at Plant Hawke’s Bay (PPN:128)

  • "We're looking for other producers on the Plant Pass website who are accredited and who can supply good quality eco-sourced seedlings."

    —Rachel Scanlan, Lead Supervisor at Akura Plant Nursery (PPN:141)

  • “Achieving Plant Pass certification was a natural progression for us. We were already implementing many biosecurity processes, so the certification helped us formalise and enhance what we were already doing.”

    —Devin Westley, Nursery Manager at Southern Woods Nursery (PPN:121)

Pathway to Plant Pass certification

Self-assessment

1

Once registered, you’ll receive materials and guidance for a self-assessment of your current nursery biosecurity systems to identify any gaps or weaknesses.

Systems improvement and development

2

Build and improve any areas identified. Join our workshops and webinars to develop your overview of hazard identification, management, measures and learn more about Plant Pass implementation.

Audit and certification

3

An independent auditor visits to run through your plant production and biosecurity systems against the Core Standard and any modules. Your nursery becomes a Plant Pass Certified Producer once any gaps (non-conformances) are addressed.

Find a sector auditor

New certifications

If you have completed the self-assessment and have manuals and documents ready, please contact us to book a Plant Pass approved external auditor.

Re-audits

For existing Plant Pass Certified Producers, subsequent audits must take place no sooner than four months before the expiry date of certificate and no more than four months after the date of the certificate.

Plant Pass approved external auditors

Please contact us to book a Plant Pass approved external auditor.

Audits for Plant Pass equivalency schemes

Plant Pass Number

The Plant Pass Number (PPN) is a simple way to demonstrate your status as a Plant Pass Certified Producer that has met the Plant Pass plant health and biosecurity standard in your nursery production and traceability systems.

Only Plant Pass Certified Producers can use the PPN and producer mark. We encourage plant buyers to look for the PPN on plant labels, nursery lists, quotes, tenders and marketing materials. Including your PPN differentiates your business and helps to promote the scheme. We encourage all Certified Producers to use it consistently – the more visibility, the more value it holds.

Find your PPN on your Plant Pass certificate or the Plant Pass Register. Please contact us for guidelines and logo artwork.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You can start at any time. There is no set time frame between registration and certification. How long it takes depends on how much you need to do and the priority, time and resources you can give to it. For well-equipped producers, certification might take a few months. Others might take a year or so.

  • Once registered, producers pay an Annual Registration Fee. The fee includes manuals, support, workshop and webinar attendance. Audits have a set fee (plus travel time and distance charges) payable to independent auditors. See the Registration Form for up-to-date fees.

  • As part of your registration, you have access to the Plant Pass team for support and guidance on your path to certification. Please get in touch if you have any questions about registration, the standards, the audit process, workshops etc.

Learn more about Plant Pass

  • Join a workshop or webinar

    Our regular Plant Pass workshops and seminars around the country are a fantastic way to see Plant Pass in action. Or register for an online webinars.

    Enquire now

  • Plant Pass scheme documents

    Learn about the Plant Pass standard’s science-based framework for plant health and biosecurity and download key documents.

    Learn more