Pea weevil eradicated in Wairarapa - Govt

Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor (centre) talks to Federated Farmers past and present Pea Weevil Response Governance Group members Henry Reynolds (left), Karen Williams and Jamie Falloon, along with Stakeholders Liaison Group member Richard Kershaw (right). Photo / Supplied

A Government programme to wipe out pea weevil has achieved a world first, with Biosecurity Minister Damien O'Connor today announcing the successful eradication of the noxious pest from Wairarapa.

This means the nearly four-year ban on pea plants and pea straw was lifted today.

Commercial and home gardeners can again grow pea plants and use pea straw as garden bedding material.

O'Connor said after two complete seasons of no new finds, the Government was confident that there were no pea weevils remaining in Wairarapa, and therefore New Zealand.

"To our knowledge, this is the first time a pea weevil population has been successfully eradicated anywhere in the world. This just goes to show what can be achieved when Government, industry and communities work together" said O'Connor.

"It also shows that eradications can be achieved. This Government is committed to attempting eradications wherever possible. In this situation we had a good shot at it because the destructive little insect was detected early and in a region with mountain ranges providing some natural borders.

Karen Williams, a Carterton pea grower appointed to the Pea Weevil Governance Group, speaks with Biosecurity Minister Damien O'Connor on her arable farm in Wairarapa. Photo / Supplied

"But more importantly – we had an outstanding level of awareness and support within the community for our approach to ban the growing of pea plants and pea straw. In doing this we removed the pea weevil's only food source, which caused the population to die out. It was straightforward and effective."

Biosecurity New Zealand had been working with Wairarapa farmers since March 2016 to contain pea weevil that threatened to put a major dent in the country's $130 million pea industry.

A network of trap crops was set up to flush out the pest so it could be destroyed before it completed its life cycle. Its last detection was in late 2017.

Wairarapa Labour list MP Kieran McAnulty praised local industry and community for their support.

"I'm absolutely stoked! I was involved right at the start before I was an MP, helping the growers set up a cropping strategy for the region to help them through. They were very worried about the future, and fair enough, no one had eradicated pea weevil before. But we've done it which is just a massive achievement and is testament to the hard work of Biosecurity New Zealand and local growers."

Karen Williams, a Carterton pea grower appointed to the Pea Weevil Governance Group advising on the issue, said "it's been a long four years, with ups and downs, but we have achieved the ultimate result".

"The decision to eradicate was hard on local pea growers so it is extremely pleasing to see their efforts rewarded."

Williams said the next step for industry was to work with seed companies to bring back pea growing contracts.

Today's announcement comes just two weeks after Biosecurity New Zealand ended its fruit fly operations on Auckland's North Shore and lifted restrictions on the movement of fruit and vegetables in the Northcote area.