Eradication of Psa becoming "increasingly difficult" - MAF

File photo / APN

Biosecurity Minster David Carter says it is highly unlikely the vine-killing disease Psa will be eradicated from New Zealand.

This comes amidst growing fears the disease has spread to kiwfruit orchards outside the Bay of Plenty.

Mr Carter told Newstalk ZB that although confirmed cases of Psa are confined by Te Puke, it will be "increasingly difficult" to eradicate the bacteria.

Furthermore, he said the kiwifruit industry has asked him to wait for test results to come through before deciding on a course of action

Six kiwifruit orchards have now been placed under quarantine by MAF, up from five yesterday and suspicion the Psa bacterium may have spread out of the Bay of Plenty is growing.

MAF is now investigating 80 orchards suspected of having the Psa bacterium, with 116 properties now having sent photographs of potential symptoms to Zespri's contact centre.

Zespri has just released information confirming that growers outside the Bay of Plenty - in regions such as Franklin, the Hawkes Bay, Far North and Poverty Bay - suspect their orchards are showing signs of the disease.

MAF says 300 samples are being collected from each orchard under investigation.

Biosecurity officials said yesterday that the Te Puke orchard that was first confirmed to have the Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae (Psa) bacterium had seen the disease progress further.

It was one of three orchards with the disease, but that figure could rise as more laboratory tests return today.

Three other orchards are quarantined, and 20 are being actively investigated by the Ministry of Agriculture (MAF) and Forestry and Zespri, New Zealand's biggest exporter of kiwifruit.

MAF's head of biosecurity Barry O'Neil said so far no countries had restricted kiwifruit imports, with only the United States and Australia halting trade in cuttings and vine.

"In fact we have very positive confirmation from Australia that their assessment was... that kiwifruit does not present a risk in trade," he told Radio New Zealand this morning.

"I've been very, very pleased with the responsible position that our markets have taken to the announcement from New Zealand."

Test results due back
Test results of samples from nine orchard sites will be returned today, and by tomorrow that would have increased to 40.

Agriculture Minister David Carter said he would know by this afternoon the best way to proceed, as the tests would give an idea of how far the bacteria had spread and how severe the outbreak was.

The disease, which could be spread by wind, bees and poor agricultural hygiene, was at present limited to a 10km radius. Authorities said the No 1 goal was to eradicate Psa from New Zealand. If that wasn't possible, the second option was to try to contain it.

Zespri chief executive Lain Jager said yesterday that "if eradication is an option, we are under enormous pressure to make very challenging decisions".

MAF was still discussing treatment options but eradication could include burning vines, or deep burial. Copper spraying, used to control the disease, would begin this afternoon.

Strain of disease
Yesterday, Mr O'Neil said the Psa strain might be different from those identified overseas. "It may be that this organism in New Zealand is a far more mild situation, and if we are not able to eradicate, it may be that orchardists will be able to manage this problem relatively easily within normal orchard practice methods."

It was also possible Psa had been dormant in New Zealand for years.

Te Puke growers were "tentatively optimistic" yesterday that it was not an aggressive strain of the disease.

Mr Carter said the find was a huge wake-up call for all New Zealanders about the importance of biosecurity.

The bacteria could threaten New Zealand's $1.4 billion kiwifruit industry, which employs 25,000 people in the Bay of Plenty alone.

The US and Australia have banned imports of nursery plants and cuttings from New Zealand, but they and Japan confirmed yesterday that they would continue to accept the fruit.

VIGILANCE NEEDED* 3 orchards confirmed

* 3 others quarantined

* 80 orchards being investigated

- WITH NZPA and NZHERALD.CO.NZ staff