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.
13/01/2025
We hope you all had a merry Christmas and were able to enjoy the holiday season with family and friends. We look forward to working with you throughout the year ahead, ensuring our biosecurity system remains strong and we keep damaging exotic pests and diseases from our orchards.
Read more16/01/2025
Legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in Papatoetoe will remain in place for the next few weeks as part of the response to the discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly earlier this month. Sector groups, including KVH staff and industry personnel from Punchbowl and APAC, have been providing support for heightened operational activities, which are continuing a little longer as a precautionary approach. It’s anticipated the restrictions will remain in place until mid-February. This is vital to success in keeping fruit fly out of New Zealand and protecting kiwifruit growers, and horticultural exports. It also ensures we can be confident there is no breeding population – this timeframe is based on scientific advice about the life cycle of the Oriental fruit fly. To date, no other Oriental fruit flies have been found. Fruit fly traps will continue to be regularly checked, and specialist staff in the mobile field laboratory will cut up and inspect fruit and vegetables collected in the area for any signs of larvae. So far more than 200kg of produce has been examined. There is no change to the current movement rules that are in place. The A and B Zone areas in Papatoetoe will remain the same and the instructions on the disposal of produce waste remain unchanged. Significant response updates will continue to be posted on the KVH website as they occur. Useful resources Biosecurity New Zealand website for detailed response maps, information, and resources, in many languages. KVH Oriental fruit fly fact sheet. KVH Oriental fruit fly identification guide.
Read more14/01/2025
Next in our series of team member introductions is Linda Peacock, our Industry Liaison & Technical Specialist. We started this series to share more about the roles we have, and how each of us interact with you, our readers and growers, in our day-to-day activities. I’ve been with KVH since its earliest days in 2011, working with growers and technical teams from all growing regions to build knowledge around best practice, particularly in terms of management of Psa. I was a long-term member of the Psa Steering Group and now am part of the Technical Working Group in the crop protection and market access innovation space where Psa related projects are considered alongside the wider scope of crop protection risks. I enjoy connecting industry players with researchers, to support projects and surveys which underpin both the crop protection and biosecurity industry space. My role has expanded over time to focus more on wider biosecurity, including managing and looking into reports of unusual symptoms seen on vines and fruit, and coordinating KiwiNet members as well as regional coordinators who all help growers and KVH build biosecurity awareness and preparedness. Meeting and sharing knowledge with a wide range of great people across the industry is the best part of my job, especially on-orchard and at field days and workshops where I can help turn technical advice into practical, easy, day-to-day activities for all growers and contractors. When I’m not working, I enjoy gardening and cycling, kayaking, and walking adventures in the great outdoors.
Read more13/01/2025
Auckland biosecurity officers recently detected three dead bugs on a vehicle ship while carrying out routine surveillance for Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. They were confirmed as Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) – one of our Most Unwanted, and a high-risk pest native to Asia that invaded North America in 2014. The pest can damage some 70 plant species, including kiwifruit, feeding and excreting honeydew, which promotes black mould and inhibits plant growth. Further checks did not detect any additional flies, allowing cargo discharge. Read more about SLF on the KVH website here. Image: SLF found by officers in Auckland while carrying out routine biosecurity surveillance at the border.
Read more13/01/2025
KVH’s submission on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act can be read here. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading the review and our comprehensive submission on behalf of the kiwifruit industry addresses most of the proposed changes. Significant areas for our sector that we have commented on relate to funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management. Once submissions are analysed MPI will publish a summary and make recommendations to the Minister for Biosecurity. Thank you to those who have discussed the submission with us. We welcome any further questions or feedback at info@kvh.org.nz.
Read more16/01/2025
KVH would like to say a fond farewell and many thanks to David Wells for his invaluable help in maintaining our strong biosecurity connection with the Wanganui region, since 2011, through his role as KVH regional coordinator. David will now spend a little more time on his passions of tennis and travelling and will continue to champion kiwifruit growers as chairman of the Wanganui Rural Community Board. The baton now passes to David’s son Richard Wells, providing continuity of connection to the region. Richard has been involved in the kiwifruit industry since his teenage years, working in his family’s orchard and gaining valuable hands-on experience. Now managing a 20-hectare green kiwifruit orchard in Wanganui, he is passionate about sustainability and growing high-quality fruit. Image: Richard Wells, new regional coordinator based in Wanganui. Having studied biosecurity at university, Richard sees this knowledge as a key asset in his role at KVH. Outside of work, Richard enjoys staying up to date with industry advancements and exploring innovative ways to keep New Zealand’s kiwifruit thriving for future generations. The regional coordinator role supports KVH and growers by providing support in the follow-up of unusual symptoms, helping identify any potential biosecurity issues of regional concern back to KVH and being involved in preparedness for the region in the emergency response management (ERM) space. KVH looks forward to supporting Richard in this new role and urges growers to touch base for a chat. A full list of KVH regional coordinator contact details can be found here.
Read more09/01/2025
The biosecurity response to the find of a single male Oriental fruit fly in a backyard surveillance trap in Papatoetoe continues to make good progress. There are extra traps in place, stepped up checks, legal controls introduced, special bins delivered for fruit and vegetable waste disposal, and a mobile lab in place. Signage, letter drops, community engagement and translation of materials has also been underway this week, letting those affected know how they can continue to support the response and safely dispose of fruit and vegetables within the two restriction zones. KVH staff, alongside industry personnel from nearby Punchbowl and APAC, have been key members on-the-ground since these activities got underway and we thank everyone for their great efforts – especially at short notice, during the holiday period. Image: Punchbowl, APAC, and New Zealand Biosecurity Services Limited staff in the field assisting with the Papatoetoe fruit fly response. A response governance group continues to lead the investigation, and KVH is part of this group, alongside other horticulture industry groups. We will be taking a lead role in ensuring the most appropriate action is taken to minimise any impact on kiwifruit growers, and we will keep you updated as the investigation progresses. The main points to note at this stage are: An area of Papatoetoe is under a Controlled Area Notice.Effective from 4 January (and likely to be in place for at least two weeks) this notice restricts movement of fruit and vegetables to help prevent the spread of any fruit flies – if there are more out there.The controlled area has two zones – A and B. Zone A is a 200m zone, with 198 properties. Zone B covers a 1500m area, with 5,470 properties.A detailed map of the controlled area and a full description of the boundaries and rules in place for those within each zone is available here.Signage, bins, door knocking, and leaflet drops have all taken place in these zones.A mobile laboratory to examine fruit and vegetables collected from around Papatoetoe for Oriental fruit fly larvae and eggs has been set up and has processed more than 100kg of fruit so far and found no larvae or eggs.The mobile lab work and checking of fruit helps to provide an extra layer of certainty that there are no other fruit flies out there. Oriental fruit fly can affect over 300 hosts including kiwifruit, apples, citrus, and tomatoes. Adult flies lay eggs into fruit. The young stages (maggots) feed inside the fruit, causing it to rot and become unmarketable. It requires a big effort to keep fruit flies out of New Zealand and together we can continue to ensure we protect our businesses and orchards from the potential impacts posed. Significant response updates will continue to be posted on the KVH website as they occur. Useful resources Biosecurity New Zealand website for detailed response maps, information, and resources, in many languages. KVH Oriental fruit fly fact sheet. KVH Oriental fruit fly identification guide.
Read more05/01/2025
Further updates will be published here on the KVH website when significant information/changes occur. The biosecurity response to the find of a single male Oriental fruit fly in Papatoetoe is making good progress with extra traps in place, stepped up checks, legal controls introduced, special bins delivered for fruit and vegetable waste disposal, and a mobile lab in place. There were already 187 surveillance traps in the Papatoetoe/Mangere area, and by the end of today an extra 105 will be in place within a 1500m area of the original find. Yesterday legal controls were introduced to restrict the movement of fruit and vegetables around the location where the Oriental fruit fly was found to stop the spread of any others that may be out there. The response team have been delivering information to residential letterboxes about the two zones affected by restrictions and people can also find full information about what they need to do here. People will also notice biosecurity signage up in the area and special disposal bins for fruit and vegetable waste. Every household in Zone A will have a fruit and vegetable disposal bin, and in Zone B, there will be bins placed around the edge of the zone, primarily on major transport routes and further bins placed within the zone. The bins in Zone A will be cleared daily initially, then as required. At present, the restrictions will be in place for a fortnight. A mobile laboratory to examine fruit and vegetables collected from around Papatoetoe for Oriental fruit fly larvae and eggs has been set up. The mobile lab work and checking of fruit helps to provide an extra layer of certainty that there are no other fruit flies out there. To report suspected finds of fruit fly, call Biosecurity New Zealand's hotline on 0800 80 99 66. Further updates will be published here on the KVH website when significant information is available. Detection and response activities - including posters and resources in many languages - are available on the Biosecurity New Zealand website here.Oriental fruit fly and fact sheet images are on the KVH website here.Past updates from KVH are on the KVH website here.
Read more04/01/2025
Biosecurity New Zealand has now placed legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in Papatoetoe. The move follows the detection of a single male Oriental fruit fly in a surveillance trap in the area. To date, no other flies have been found in surveillance traps. Biosecurity New Zealand staff are busy in the area today laying more traps and giving out information to households. Rules now in place prohibit moving fruit and vegetables out of a specified controlled area around where the fruit fly was found. The controlled area has two zones – A and B. Zone A is a 200m zone, with 198 properties. Zone B covers a 1500m area, with 5,470 properties. A detailed map of the controlled area and a full description of the boundaries and rules in place is available here. Zone A No whole fresh fruit and vegetables, except for leafy vegetables and soil free root vegetables, can be moved outside Zone A. This applies to all produce, regardless of whether it was bought or grown. Zone B All fruit and vegetables grown within Zone B cannot be moved out of the controlled area. These legal controls are an important precaution while we investigate whether there are any further fruit flies present in the area. Should there be any more flies out there, this will help prevent their spread out of the area. It is likely the restrictions will be in place for at least two weeks. Signs will also be put in place notifying people of the restrictions and marking the controlled area boundaries. Detail about the controlled area Zone A No fruit and vegetables (other than leafy or soil free root vegetables and cooked, processed, preserved, dried, frozen and canned fruit) can be moved from Zone A of the controlled area. Compost and green waste from gardens also cannot be moved out of this zone. Residents in Zone A are asked to avoid composting fruit and vegetables. To dispose of fruit and vegetable waste, use a sink waste disposal unit if available, or bins provided by Biosecurity New Zealand. These bins will be delivered shortly, and residents advised of their location. Zone B No fruit and vegetables grown in the Zone B can be moved out of the controlled area. You are free to move commercially purchased fruit and vegetables (e.g. fruit and vegetables brought at the supermarket) out of the area. Home grown produce waste and garden waste needs to be disposed of in Biosecurity New Zealand bins.Read the 3 January update here.Read more about Oriental fruit flies on the KVH website here – including images.Read more about the detection and response activities on the Biosecurity New Zealand website here.
Read more03/01/2025
Activities are under way and extra field teams are today in Papatoetoe, Auckland, after the find of a single male Oriental fruit fly in a suburban backyard surveillance trap. Biosecurity New Zealand has confirmed checks of the other 187 traps in the Papatoetoe/Mangere area did not find any fruit flies in them, however, previous experience with the successful eradication of several different types of fruit fly is that other insects might be found, so it is important we move quickly. Trapping and testing are being ramped up, with daily checks in a 200m zone from the original find and three daily testing in a second zone out to 1500m. There have been 12 incursions of different fruit fly in Auckland and Northland since 1996 and all have been successfully eradicated, thanks to the combined efforts of Biosecurity New Zealand, horticulture partners including KVH, and local communities. KVH is working closely with Biosecurity New Zealand and other horticultural Government Industry Agreement (GIA) partners on these actions to minimise the risk to kiwifruit growers. The main points for kiwifruit growers to note at this stage are: There are field teams out in the area checking properties and setting traps to attract any fruit flies that may be in the area. The aim is to find any population present and eradicate it. The Oriental fruit fly is a serious horticultural pest. It feeds on and spoils a wide range of fruit and vegetables. It is important that we understand as soon as possible if the insect is a solitary find or if there is a bigger breeding population in Papatoetoe. Until we issue further information, if you live or work in Papatoetoe, do not take any whole fresh fruit and vegetables out of your property. Home and business owners around the location will be receiving information shortly from Biosecurity New Zealand about what actions to take. More instructions, including a map of the affected zones and details of the requirements for each zone, will be issued once the initial investigation is completed. New Zealand’s biosecurity surveillance traps do a good job of locating any fruit flies in the area. However, if you find larvae in fruit from your garden (they look like small grains of rice), report it to us on 0800 665 825 or call Biosecurity New Zealand on 0800 80 99 66. This find shows the effectiveness of our surveillance trapping system – there are more than 7,800 traps set nationwide and checked regularly. These enable us to find fruit flies early and enable a faster and more effective response if finds are made. Read more about the detection and response activities on the Biosecurity New Zealand website here. Read more about Oriental fruit flies here – including images.
Read more20/12/2024
Merry Christmas from the KVH team. We wish you a safe and relaxing holiday period with your loved ones. The KVH office will be closed from Monday 23 December 2024 and will reopen at 8.30am on Monday 6 January 2025. If any urgent issues arise during this period, please feel free to get in touch by email or report unusual pest or disease symptoms on kiwifruit or vines online here. We will be regularly monitoring these channels and will respond as soon as possible. For urgent reporting of any unusual pests or diseases, the Biosecurity New Zealand hotline (0800 80 99 66) operates 24/7 over the holidays as per usual.
Read more13/12/2024
KVH’s submission on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act (as completed and submitted on Friday 13 December) can be read here. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading the review consultation process and our comprehensive submission on behalf of the kiwifruit industry addresses most of the proposed changes, as these have a bearing on how the biosecurity system will operate in the future. Significant areas for our sector that we have commented on relate to funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management. MPI will now analyse submissions, publish a summary, and make recommendations to the Minister for Biosecurity. It is anticipated Cabinet will consider final policy proposals in 2025. Thank you to those who have discussed the submission with us. We welcome any further questions or feedback about the process at info@kvh.org.nz. Visit the MPI Biosecurity Act review webpage for detailed proposed amendments information Read more about how we developed our submission
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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).
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.
13 Jan 2025
We hope you all had a merry Christmas and were able to enjoy the holiday season with family and friends. We look forward to working with you throughout the year ahead, ensuring our biosecurity system remains strong and we keep damaging exotic pests and diseases from our orchards.
Read more16 Jan 2025
Legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in Papatoetoe will remain in place for the next few weeks as part of the response to the discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly earlier this month. Sector groups, including KVH staff and industry personnel from Punchbowl and APAC, have been providing support for heightened operational activities, which are continuing a little longer as a precautionary approach. It’s anticipated the restrictions will remain in place until mid-February. This is vital to success in keeping fruit fly out of New Zealand and protecting kiwifruit growers, and horticultural exports. It also ensures we can be confident there is no breeding population – this timeframe is based on scientific advice about the life cycle of the Oriental fruit fly. To date, no other Oriental fruit flies have been found. Fruit fly traps will continue to be regularly checked, and specialist staff in the mobile field laboratory will cut up and inspect fruit and vegetables collected in the area for any signs of larvae. So far more than 200kg of produce has been examined. There is no change to the current movement rules that are in place. The A and B Zone areas in Papatoetoe will remain the same and the instructions on the disposal of produce waste remain unchanged. Significant response updates will continue to be posted on the KVH website as they occur. Useful resources Biosecurity New Zealand website for detailed response maps, information, and resources, in many languages. KVH Oriental fruit fly fact sheet. KVH Oriental fruit fly identification guide.
Read more14 Jan 2025
Next in our series of team member introductions is Linda Peacock, our Industry Liaison & Technical Specialist. We started this series to share more about the roles we have, and how each of us interact with you, our readers and growers, in our day-to-day activities. I’ve been with KVH since its earliest days in 2011, working with growers and technical teams from all growing regions to build knowledge around best practice, particularly in terms of management of Psa. I was a long-term member of the Psa Steering Group and now am part of the Technical Working Group in the crop protection and market access innovation space where Psa related projects are considered alongside the wider scope of crop protection risks. I enjoy connecting industry players with researchers, to support projects and surveys which underpin both the crop protection and biosecurity industry space. My role has expanded over time to focus more on wider biosecurity, including managing and looking into reports of unusual symptoms seen on vines and fruit, and coordinating KiwiNet members as well as regional coordinators who all help growers and KVH build biosecurity awareness and preparedness. Meeting and sharing knowledge with a wide range of great people across the industry is the best part of my job, especially on-orchard and at field days and workshops where I can help turn technical advice into practical, easy, day-to-day activities for all growers and contractors. When I’m not working, I enjoy gardening and cycling, kayaking, and walking adventures in the great outdoors.
Read more