Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
There are eight organisms identified as the biggest biosecurity threat to New Zealand's kiwifruit industry.
24/08/2026
Hot off the press at the AGM were printed copies of our new Annual Report. Please email us if you would like a copy sent to you. The booklet details our key activities and achievements over the last 12 months, a year where preparedness was put to the test, and responses were in action. Read the 2025/26 report
Read more about Annual Report available now27/08/2026
Pollination is one of the most important activities in the orchard calendar. Many kiwifruit orchards rely on artificial pollination, as well as pollination by bees, to ensure effective pollination takes place. The movement of pollen and flowers between orchards and regions must be managed to minimise the risk of disease spread and movement to orchards where Psa is not detected, and to the South Island, is strictly prohibited or restricted. All pollen providers and distributors of pollen are required to register with KVH, and growers should only be sourcing pollen from these registered providers. All kiwifruit pollen operators - defined as "every person or entity collecting, milling, selling, distributing and/or artificially applying pollen"- must register with KVH annually via the KVH website. This includes all pollen mill operators (including growers who mill for their own use) and anyone who has sourced pollen from a mill for further distribution. More information is available on the KVH website here.
Read more about Pollen providers and distributors to register with KVH24/08/2026
KVH is proud to be a sponsor of the Young Grower of the Year National Final, supporting the next generation of horticultural leaders. As part of the competition (taking place in Cromwell), KVH is hosting a biosecurity module, challenging finalists to apply their knowledge and decision-making skills to real-world biosecurity scenarios. The grand final takes place tomorrow, with the country’s top young growers taking the stage one final time to compete in the speech module, before the 2026 title winner is announced. Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility, and it’s encouraging to see the calibre of young growers stepping up. We’ll have more about the biosecurity module in the next Bulletin. Meet the finalists
Read more about Biosecurity at national young grower competition21/08/2026
The KVH Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place Thursday, 20 August. We extend our thanks to everyone who attended and participated in the voting process. All resolutions presented at the meeting were approved and are listed below. As Simon Cook is retiring from the KVH Board there was a vacancy and we extend our congratulations to David Tanner on his successful election as Grower Director. Resolutions passed The minutes from the 2025 AGM received approval. Both the Chair and Chief Executive’s reports were accepted. The performance report for 2025/26 was approved. Levy rates for the Biosecurity (Readiness and Response) and the Biosecurity (Kiwifruit National Pathway Management Plan) were confirmed. The budget for 2027/28 was approved. Directors’ fees will increase by 2.9% for the 2026/27 financial year and a new allowance for the Audit and Risk Management Committee Chair was approved. BDO has been reappointed as auditor for the 2026/27 financial year. David Tanner was elected as Grower Director for a three-year term. If you have questions regarding the AGM results, please contact us or speak with a KVH Director.
Read more about 2026 AGM results10/08/2026
Around 100 growers, post-harvest representatives, researchers, government partners and biosecurity professionals came together at Bay Oval last week for the 2026 KVH Biosecurity Symposium, united by a shared goal of keeping the New Zealand kiwifruit industry prepared for future biosecurity threats. Held every two years, this year's event focused on the theme Staying ahead of the invasion curve, highlighting the importance of proactive readiness, rapid response and strong collaboration across the industry and our biosecurity system. The programme featured a strong line-up of New Zealand and Australian guest experts sharing lessons from real-world incursions, emerging threats, surveillance programmes, research initiatives and response experiences. Highlights included John Kean from the Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI) and Andrew Robinson from the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA) in Melbourne presenting a new science-based approach to optimising biosecurity surveillance for the kiwifruit industry, designed to strengthen early detection of exotic pests and diseases. Attendees also heard from Scott Sinclair from Biosecurity New Zealand on yellow-legged hornet detection tools and surveillance operations, Leanne Erakovic from the Australian Banana Growers’ Council on the global challenge of Panama disease TR4 in bananas, Aaron Dodd from the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on their evolving approach to brown marmorated stink bug surveillance, and Dr Jon Sullivan from Lincoln University on lessons learned from 25 years of wild kiwifruit control. Research and innovation were a major focus, with Rebecca Burns outlining Zespri Innovation's approach to building biosecurity readiness across high-risk threats, generic readiness and emerging risks, while Beccy Ganley spoke to research from Better Border Biosecurity and BSI exploring how new technologies and targeted research can help strengthen New Zealand's biosecurity system. Day two saw participants take part in an interactive Fruit Fly Council workshop, testing how the horticulture sector would maintain supply chains during a fruit fly incursion. The exercise explored the impacts of movement controls and export restrictions, while identifying opportunities to further improve preparedness across the industry. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making this year's Symposium such a valuable event. It was a fantastic opportunity to share knowledge, strengthen connections across the biosecurity network, and reinforce the readiness needed to protect New Zealand's kiwifruit industry from exotic threats. A special thank you to our event sponsors, without whom we would not have been able to offer the Symposium. Thank you to Horticentre Charitable Trust; the Bioeconomy Science Institute; Zespri; NZKGI; Onside; Fruitfed Supplies; and the Port of Tauranga for the support and presence throughout the event. See images from the event here and if you'd like a copy of the slides from the day please email us. We’ll also have a more extensive article about the Symposium in the next issue of the Kiwifruit Journal.
Read more about Symposium showcased the best in biosecurity14/08/2026
Exotic fruit flies are one of our industry’s biggest biosecurity threats and kiwifruit growers know better than anyone the threat they pose – as proven by the importance placed on the workshop at the recent Symposium. To help manage this threat, Biosecurity New Zealand undertakes national surveillance for exotic fruit flies. Delivered by AsureQuality for more than 30 years, the programme is designed to detect exotic fruit flies that make it into New Zealand. Detections through this programme have triggered 16 successful biosecurity responses since 1990, stopping unwanted fruit fly species from establishing here. The surveillance programme has operated since the 1970s and currently includes more than 7800 traps nationwide. To strengthen surveillance further, Biosecurity New Zealand plans to expand the network by more than 1100 traps during the 2026-27 high-risk season, bringing the total to around 9000 traps. The additional traps will be focused on areas of urban growth in the upper North Island, where conditions are most suitable for many fruit fly species. New traps will be installed in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Hawke's Bay. Additional trapping will also be introduced around Hamilton and Dunedin airports following the recent resumption of international flights from Australia. AsureQuality field officers will be identifying new trap locations over the coming weeks. If your property is selected as a potential site, you may be contacted about hosting a trap. If kiwifruit growers are visited by AsureQuality and have any further queries or would like any information or resources from KVH, please don’t hesitate to get in touch for guidance. As always, if you see something suspicious – catch it or photograph it if safe to do so and report it to Biosecurity New Zealand on 0800 809 966 or KVH on 0800 665 825.
Read more about Increase in fruit fly traps10/08/2026
KVH was also pleased to be part of the Tauranga Moana Biosecurity Capital (TMBC) Symposium yesterday, joining industry, iwi, researchers, businesses and community groups to explore how the Bay of Plenty can strengthen its position as New Zealand's biosecurity capital. The event provided an opportunity for KVH to share insights from recent kiwifruit biosecurity responses and readiness activities with peers, while highlighting the importance of collaboration across sectors to protect the region's growers, economy, and environment from harmful pests and diseases. With biosecurity risks continuing to evolve, the Symposium reinforced the key message that strong partnerships and collective action are essential and having networks across the biosecurity space in the region helps keep us abreast of any potential changes to biosecurity risk for kiwifruit growers, as well as allowing us input into wider biosecurity management activities, particularly at higher risk sites like ports and transitional facilities.
Read more about KVH at Tauranga Moana biosecurity event14/08/2026
Biosecurity awareness month is a timely reminder that protecting New Zealand's kiwifruit industry starts with all of us. As a campaign partner, KVH encourages growers to stay alert, follow good biosecurity practices, and report anything unusual, because early detection remains one of our best defences against new threats. The Biosecurity Business Pledge also offers practical resources to help all businesses proactively strengthen their biosecurity practices and preparedness at the most senior level, supporting the protection of orchards, livelihoods, and the industry we all rely on. View the Pledge’s resources
Read more about Keeping biosecurity front of mind for all this August14/08/2026
A reminder our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is next Thursday. Grower members have now received their AGM packs, including voting information. Where: Mercury Baypark, Truman Lane, Mount Maunganui When: 9.00am, Thursday 20 August The NZKGI AGM will follow immediately after, and a light lunch will then be provided before the Zespri AGM at 1.00pm. View the AGM pack
Read more about AGM next week30/07/2026
Bird flu: New Zealand has had two detections of H5N1 bird flu, with no new cases since 17 July. Stay alert, avoid sick or dead birds, wash your hands and clean your gear after being outdoors, and report groups of three or more sick or dead wild birds to MPI on 0800 80 99 66. Varroa mite: Millions of bees are being moved from Western Australia to South Australia after varroa mite reduced bee numbers needed for pollination. The situation highlights the importance of strong biosecurity to protect food production.
Read more about Biosecurity in the news30/07/2026
Biosecurity New Zealand has expanded its public awareness work to encourage international travellers to declare or dispose of risk goods before arriving in New Zealand. New signage has been installed at key transit airports in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok and Shanghai, alongside targeted digital campaigns in China, the Philippines and India. The campaigns focus on commonly seized food items and are delivered in local languages to help travellers understand New Zealand’s border requirements. Friends and family already living in New Zealand are also being targeted through local advertising, reinforcing that many food products are readily available here and don't need to be brought across the border. To support these campaigns, travellers can click through to border information on the Biosecurity New Zealand website, translated into Simplified Chinese and Hindi.
Read more about Helping travellers get it right30/07/2026
Birds can carry kiwifruit seed far beyond orchard boundaries, helping wild kiwifruit establish in new areas. Once established, it can become a difficult and costly weed to manage. We have a new one minute video showing how seed dispersal happens and the simple steps everyone can take to prevent it. If you're handling kiwifruit after harvest, remember: don't spread seed - drop it, mulch it. Watch the video
Read more about Don't spread seed - drop it, mulch it
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 in Te Puke to New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry is estimated to be between $200 million and $695 million. A Kiwifruit Journal article summarises the financial impacts of different incursion scenarios based on previous fruit fly incursions in New Zealand and overseas and economic modelling by Underwood (2023).
Pest ranking based on the KVH risk matrix
View risk matrixKVH 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.
KVH investigates reports of unusual symptoms to identify and manage any biosecurity risks.
24 Aug 2026
Hot off the press at the AGM were printed copies of our new Annual Report. Please email us if you would like a copy sent to you. The booklet details our key activities and achievements over the last 12 months, a year where preparedness was put to the test, and responses were in action. Read the 2025/26 report
Read more about Annual Report available now27 Aug 2026
Pollination is one of the most important activities in the orchard calendar. Many kiwifruit orchards rely on artificial pollination, as well as pollination by bees, to ensure effective pollination takes place. The movement of pollen and flowers between orchards and regions must be managed to minimise the risk of disease spread and movement to orchards where Psa is not detected, and to the South Island, is strictly prohibited or restricted. All pollen providers and distributors of pollen are required to register with KVH, and growers should only be sourcing pollen from these registered providers. All kiwifruit pollen operators - defined as "every person or entity collecting, milling, selling, distributing and/or artificially applying pollen"- must register with KVH annually via the KVH website. This includes all pollen mill operators (including growers who mill for their own use) and anyone who has sourced pollen from a mill for further distribution. More information is available on the KVH website here.
Read more about Pollen providers and distributors to register with KVH24 Aug 2026
KVH is proud to be a sponsor of the Young Grower of the Year National Final, supporting the next generation of horticultural leaders. As part of the competition (taking place in Cromwell), KVH is hosting a biosecurity module, challenging finalists to apply their knowledge and decision-making skills to real-world biosecurity scenarios. The grand final takes place tomorrow, with the country’s top young growers taking the stage one final time to compete in the speech module, before the 2026 title winner is announced. Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility, and it’s encouraging to see the calibre of young growers stepping up. We’ll have more about the biosecurity module in the next Bulletin. Meet the finalists
Read more about Biosecurity at national young grower competition