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Hand pluck possums for possum fur recovery

Level / 2
Credits / 2

PurposePeople credited with this unit standard are able to: hand pluck possums for possum fur recovery; and store possum fur, dispose of possum carcasses, and maintain records.

Subfield / Agriculture
Domain / General Agriculture
Status / Registered
Status date / 26 July 2004
Date version published / 20 May 2008
Planned review date / 31 December 2010
Entry information / Open.
Accreditation / Evaluation of documentation by NZQA and industry.
Standard setting body (SSB) / Primary Industry Training Organisation
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference / 0052

This AMAP can be accessed at

Special notes

1Legislation relevant to this unit standard includes but is not limited to the – Resource Management Act 1991, Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, Animal Welfare Act 1999, Biosecurity Act 1993, and their subsequent amendments.

2Definition

organisational procedures – the verbal and written instructions to staff on procedures for hand plucking possums for fur recovery.

3Assessment

People seeking credit for this unit standard must be assessed using possums within 5-10 minutes following death of the possum.

Elements and performance criteria

Element 1

Hand pluck possums for possum fur recovery.

Performance criteria

1.1Possums are destroyed humanely in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 1999, and organisational procedures.

1.2Possum fur is stripped at the optimal time following death of the possum.

1.3Possum is held for stripping in a manner which enables efficient stripping, and avoids contamination of harvested possum fur.

1.4Possum is stripped of fur in a systematic, methodical and timely manner, removing all fur which is acceptable to the buyer, and in accordance with organisational procedures.

Rangemay include but is not limited to – length, condition.

1.5Stripped possum fur is handled in a manner which avoids damage to the fibre.

1.6Procedure is carried out without injury to self or others.

Element 2

Store possum fur, dispose of possum carcasses, and maintain records.

Performance criteria

2.1Possum fur is stored free of contamination at the optimum temperature to avoid damage.

2.2Possum fur is presented for sale within the range of acceptable moisture content for buyer requirements, and in accordance with organisational procedures.

2.3Possum carcasses are disposed of in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 1999, and organisational procedures.

2.4Records are maintained in accordance with organisational procedures.

Please note

Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.

Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.

Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.

Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.

Comments on this unit standard

Please contact the Primary Industry Training Organisation if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.

 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018