Nathan Guy addresses fruit fly concerns with kiwifruit growers

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy speaks at a Mills Reef Winery function earlier today. Photo / John Borren.

Auckland's fruit fly outbreak was expected to be high on the agenda of today's meeting between Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Western Bay kiwifruit growers.

The 4pm meeting was held on the orchard of Peter Ombler, the chairman of Kiwifruit Vine Health and a member of the Biosecurity Ministerial Advisory Committee.

Mr Ombler supports HortNZ's call to X-ray baggage at international airports, particularly through the high-risk period from January to April-May.

The minister's visit comes as the industry gears up for this year's harvest due to begin later this month.

Growers were concerned that the latest outbreak could not have happened at a worse time because of the risk it posed to the movement of New Zealand fruit.

Mr Guy said he was confident that the latest outbreak in the central Auckland suburb of Grey Lynn had been contained and would be eradicated.

A total of 10 Queensland fruit fly and larvae had been found on properties in the containment zone.

Both Mr Guy and Mr Ombler want to review biosecurity systems once the current emergency was over.

Mr Ombler said recently that the real threat was from Australia's eastern seaboard.

Once New Zealand's trading partners had the comfort of knowing there were no issues to be concerned about, he wanted to sit down with the Ministry to come up with a system that was less risky but still affordable and not too cumbersome.