KUALA LUMPUR: A dried cowpat’s journey from Malaysia to a temple in New Zealand was cut short when the Auckland Airport authorities denied it entry, deeming it a possible biosecurity hazard.
The New Zealand Herald reported that the cowpat, which is used for Hindu “burning” rituals, had been declared by a passenger from Malaysia when arriving at Auckland Airport, last week.
Ministry for Primary Industries Auckland Airport manager Dave Sims said the passenger was en-route to delivering it to a temple in Otahuhu there.
"Cowpats are made by mixing fresh cow feces with hay. 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," he told the daily while relating the incident, described by the agency as among the most unusual interceptions of the summer.
Cowpats have been used for centuries to light fires in India, and while Sims said it was rare for the authority to intercept the agricultural produce, such seizures may become more common in the future.
"Cowpats are now a commercial product. There's even a website selling them and some customers want gift wrapping. The great thing in this case is the passenger declared the pat. They did everything we asked to safeguard New Zealand's biosecurity,” he further said.