Seen something unusual?   MAKE A REPORT

Login/Register
Kiwifruit's most unwanted

Kiwifruit's most unwanted

There are eight organisms identified as the biggest biosecurity threat to New Zealand's kiwifruit industry.

Latest news
Close
 Kiwifruit's most unwanted

Kiwifruit's most unwanted

Fruit flies

Fruit flies are the kiwifruit industry's most unwanted biosecurity threat. Any incursion can severely impact where we sell our fruit. The high risk period for fruit flies is September to June.

The Queensland Fruit Fly (QFF), native to Australia (our closest neighbour), is considered to be the greatest threat and has the most market impacts.

The financial impact of a fruit fly incursion to New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry is estimated to be between $2 million and $430 million. KVH has produced a short report summarising the financial impacts of different incursion scenarios based on previous fruit fly incursions in New Zealand and overseas and economic modelling by Underwood (2007).

Threat Levels
Likelihood of entry
Medium
Likelihood of establishment
Medium
Production impacts
High
Market access impacts
Very Low

Pest ranking based on the KVH risk matrix

View risk matrix

KVH has developed a guide for growers that details the likely sequence of events if a fruit fly response was to occur in a kiwifruit growing region.

Plant & Food Research have been granted permission to import sterile QFF into a New Zealand containment facility to develop new attractants for female and male flies.

This long-term project will determine what the flies can smell and whether the odours can be used to improve the sensitivity of traps or increase the numbers of flies lured in. Three approaches are being used; odours based on host fruit, sex pheromones and bacteria.

This research is part of a larger collaborative approach with Australian organisations to manage and eradicate QFF populations. 

Supporting this is a Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) facility that can produce 50 million sterile QFF per week as an eradication tool for release in Australia or New Zealand should an established population ever become large enough for this to be required. Read more about the project here.

KVH supports these research activities as an integral component of our readiness activities for the industry’s most unwanted biosecurity threat.


Further fruit fly resources

SEEN SOMETHING UNUSUAL?

KVH investigates reports of unusual symptoms to identify and manage any biosecurity risks.

Make A report

LATEST NEWS

26 Aug 2024

Celebrating a pest-free Port

KVH will be at the Port of Tauranga over the coming weeks, highlighting frontline efforts to ensure a pest-free environment. There are many enthusiastic people who work on and around the Port who know biosecurity is a critical issue, affecting everyone in some way. With hundreds of people operating on the frontline of the Port community daily, we have lots of eyes constantly on the lookout for unwanted pests. The Port deals with millions of tonnes of cargo each year, and around 100 cruise ships over every summer, so we all need to be ready, vigilant, and watchful. Biosecurity matters at Ports because it is also a significant business risk. The frontline staff we’ll be meeting with and talking to - such as stevedores, and straddle/crane drivers - are the best placed to initially notice and report anything unusual. Our key message is if something happens, there will be a cost to you, your job, or your business, and you need to know what you can do to stop it. As the organisation responsible for leading biosecurity preparedness on behalf of the kiwifruit industry, KVH partners in this initiative alongside the Port of Tauranga and the local Biosecurity New Zealand team. Other activities with the Port community include staff from Biosecurity New Zealand visiting transitional facilities across the Bay of Plenty to share up-to-date information about managing risk and distribute useful collateral such as the ever popular 12 most unwanted pests calendar produced by the partnership, and both Biosecurity New Zealand and KVH taking part in pre-cruise season briefing sessions for the Port’s security staff. You can see online versions of the resources we’ll distribute this year here: Annual pest calendar September 2024 - August 2025"Most unwanted pests” playing cardsSpot it, snap it, report it frontline lunch bags

Read more

26 Aug 2024

Biosecurity best practice

What are the top five things you need to do if you are part of the kiwifruit growing community in New Zealand, to ensure you are following biosecurity best practice and managing risk? We’ve created a video – it’s only two minutes long – running through all five easy to follow steps. It’s specifically designed to help with training, and for use at places like reception areas and events so if you’d like a copy let us know. Thank you to the team at Trevelyan’s for the support in producing the video, including the sites and wonderful talent! Watch it here.

Read more

26 Aug 2024

2024 AGM results

The KVH Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held Wednesday 21 August, and we thank all those who were able to attend, and those who voted. All Resolutions were passed at the AGM: That the minutes of the 2023 AGM be approved. That the Chairman and Chief Executive’s reports be approved. That the financial report for the 12 months ending 31 March 2024 be approved. Approval of the Biosecurity (Readiness and Response) and the Biosecurity (Kiwifruit National Pathway Management Plan) levy rates. For the year ending 31 March 2026 the Biosecurity (Readiness and Response) levy continues at the rate of eight tenths of a cent – 0.8c - per tray equivalent on all commercial varieties of kiwifruit except Actinidia arguta, exported to all markets other than Australia, and the Biosecurity (Kiwifruit National Pathway Management Plan) levy continues at the rate of six tenths of a cent - 0.6c - per tray. That the budget for 2025/26 be approved. That Directors fees increase by 3% for the 2024/25 financial year. That BDO be reappointed as the auditor for the 2024/25 financial year. That Liarna White is re-elected as a Grower Director, and Fiona Carrick is re-elected as an Independent Director, both for a term of three years. If you have any questions about the results, please contact KVH or speak to a KVH Director. All AGM documents, including Resolutions, financial statements and budget information are available to reference on the KVH website.

Read more
View all

USE THE WEATHER & DISEASE PORTAL

The KVH portal is now the Zespri Weather & Disease Portal. Access all the weather tools you're familiar with.

Open now