Kiwifruit growers to brief minister

Warning signs at a Bay of Plenty kiwifruit orchard. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Kiwifruit growers will this morning brief Biosecurity Minister David Carter on the chances of eradicating the vine-killing disease PSA, which is threatening the billion dollar crop.

Eight Bay of Plenty kiwifruit orchards have been confirmed with the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, or PSA, and one of them has started showing advanced symptoms, including red weeping from the vine and shoot and cane dieback, which indicates rapid disease progression since the leaf spotting was first identified less than two weeks ago.

There was a closed industry advisory committee meeting in Mt Maunganui last night and growers and marketing company Zespri are meeting with Mr Carter this morning before an announcement will be made at midday.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has placed restriction notices on 11 orchards and is currently investigating 82 others.

More than 170 growers have emailed in photos of potential PSA symptoms while 382 have confirmed they are free of symptoms.

However, there have so far been no confirmed cases outside Te Puke.

Zespri has said it hopes New Zealand will be the first country to completely eradicate the airborne bacteria, but admits it may not be possible if it is too widespread.

- NZPA