Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
You need to have an on-orchard biosecurity plan that details how you manage risk on your property. Complete one on paper, or online, using our range of resources.
02/12/2024
In the last Bulletin we mentioned the consultation underway on several proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act 1993. Our draft submission is now available to view here. We welcome the opportunity for further discussion so please do get in touch at info@kvh.org.nz by 13 December when the submission is due if you have questions. The consultation and our submission have been part of our presentation at the recent Grower Roadshows too, and we thank those of you who have already spoken with us about it. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading this process and our comprehensive submission on behalf of the kiwifruit industry will address most of the proposed changes, as these have a bearing on how the biosecurity system will operate in the future. Some of the proposals are significant to our sector, particularly those in the sections about funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management.
Read more02/12/2024
The holidays are almost here and with them come extra biosecurity risks posed by unpacking Christmas goodies and luggage. Remember, and be sure to remind family and friends, to be on the lookout for unwanted guests of the “bug” kind and carefully unpack and check any packages or bags from overseas for hitchhiking pests. Open parcels in a closed room and if you find anything unusual, catch it, photograph it, and report it. Looking across previous years it is estimated that around 3,400 items of undeclared fresh produce will be seized from passengers over the Christmas period alone! Kiwifruit growers and other passengers associated with primary sectors travelling over the Christmas and New Year period may find they experience more interventions when returning to New Zealand. This is because they potentially pose a greater biosecurity risk based on the likelihood they may have visited offshore orchards and farms during their travels. KVH has produced a useful one-page poster outlining everything growers can do to help reduce biosecurity risk and what you can expect through border control when returning home.
Read more02/12/2024
With the upcoming Christmas holiday period, the last date for Hill Labs Psa testing will be Tuesday 24 December 2024. The last date for Unusual Symptom sample processing at Plant Diagnostics will be Friday 20 December (for already received samples). Services will resume at both labs from Monday 6 January 2025. Please contact KVH at info@kvh.org.nz if urgent testing is potentially required during the Christmas closure.
Read more04/12/2024
Earlier this week KiwiNet members from across post-harvest organisations, and representatives from Farmlands, Horticentre and Fruitfed, met with KVH for an industry biosecurity and readiness update. This included a review of the KiwiNet purpose and ongoing value to the industry, 10 years on from the initial launch in 2014. As a theme setter Lisa Gibbison presented the findings from her recently completed Kellogg project “Who do growers trust in a time of crisis?”. A key message was the value of developing and maintaining networks across time as these build the trust that knits people together in times of crisis. KVH and Zespri were seen as trusted industry leaders. Matt Dyck, KVH Biosecurity Manager outlined the interaction between the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and support organisations in the event of a biosecurity response, and the commonalities between readiness training for biosecurity and the newer industry Emergency Response Management (ERM) framework in which KVH also has a key role. Updates on our industry surveillance projects, a whirlwind global overview of biosecurity challenges, and a short update on unusual symptoms highlighted both the emerging threats and the valuable research projects and collaborations that are ongoing in the biosecurity space. More information about KiwiNet can be found here. A copy of Lisa’s Kellogg research project and presentations from the workshop will be posted on the KVH website shortly.
Read more02/12/2024
Next in our series of team member introductions, is Senior Biosecurity Advisor, Erin Lane. 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 joined KVH in February 2019, coming from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) where I worked as a Quarantine Officer in Auckland and later in Wellington on regulation and developing response and readiness plans. My primary role here at KVH is to work with both growers and the wider kiwifruit industry to raise awareness about biosecurity threats and to support the industry in managing any risks that do arise. One of the biggest threats to kiwifruit – and many other fruit and vegetable industries in New Zealand - is the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB). An interesting fact about me and my travels is that I’ve worked closely with the Japanese vehicle and machinery industry to ensure their supply chains are biosecurity robust and that vehicles and machines arriving in New Zealand are free of0020these bugs. This involved spending six weeks working out of the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo, traveling across Japan to meet with manufacturers, inspect factories, storage facilities, and ports to assess risks. I’m probably most well-known for my role in reviewing the most unwanted threat list for the kiwifruit industry, drawing on my knowledge and experience of import pathways and treatments. The most unwanted list is what we use to produce a lot of the resources we create for the industry. I really enjoy being part of the kiwifruit industry and raising my young family here in the Bay of Plenty. I look forward to continuing KVH’s important work with you all.
Read more27/11/2024
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. For urgent reporting of unusual pests and diseases, the Biosecurity New Zealand hotline (0800 80 99 66) operates 24/7 as per usual.
Read more18/11/2024
In the last Bulletin we mentioned the consultation underway on several proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act 1993. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading this process and KVH is currently completing a comprehensive submission on behalf of the kiwifruit industry that will address most of the proposed changes, as these have a bearing on how the biosecurity system will operate in the future. Some of the proposals are significant to our sector, particularly those in the sections about funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management. Our draft submission is now available to view here. We welcome the opportunity for further discussion so please do get in touch at info@kvh.org.nz at any stage if you have questions. The consultation will be part of our presentation at the upcoming Zespri Grower Roadshows too.
Read more18/11/2024
Coming soon to your screens is a brand-new kiwifruit industry biosecurity champions video, about the importance of good biosecurity as part of good business practice. The video features DMS staff, namely Technical & Innovation Manager Cam Clayton, and the work they day every day to ensure we are protected from the threat of harmful pests and diseases reaching orchards and spreading unknowingly. Watch this space as the final product won’t be far away. You can watch the video now on the KVH YouTube channel.
Read more15/11/2024
In the last issue of the Bulletin, we started our meet the team series, sharing more about the roles we have, and how each of us interact with you, our readers and growers, in our day-to-day activities. This week, we introduce Anna Li. I’m Anna and I joined KVH in August 2024 as the Systems Coordinator. My role is to support KVH’s IT infrastructure and security and provide data and mapping support to the team. I also create practical new tools and systems for KVH that we can use for online services to growers, particularly around traceability. My background spans web development, software programming, and mapping. I have a horticulture certificate too, which gives me deep insights into pest and disease control within orchard management. Before joining KVH, I was a professional landscape architect – something I’m still really interested in. I worked on residential projects and large public spaces, and gained valuable experience in mapping, which I use to this day. I’m excited to be part of KVH and look forward to working with you all to support our growers.
Read more19/11/2024
The 2024/25 cruise season in New Zealand is officially underway, with 45 cruise ships set to make a total of 957 stops around the country. Four cruise lines that haven’t been here since pre-Covid times are also coming back. We often get questions from growers about Biosecurity New Zealand’s Recognised Cruise Line Programme (RCLP), which checks how cruise lines handle risks. Here’s a rundown of what’s covered in the programme: Refuse management – such as using steam to sterilise bottles and containers that have been used for food.Pest and provision management – ensuring things like live plants are treated, pest traps are checked, and there’s a solid plan for managing pests in provisions.Passenger management – for example, limiting the serving of whole fruit and honey, and making sure passengers get biosecurity information at least two days before arriving.Biosecurity awareness – this includes making sure crew members are well trained. Starting this season, operators with a good track record of compliance may be able to keep their approval status for up to three years for both topside and underwater biosecurity. Evaluations will still happen every year, and operators will need to meet strict standards to maintain their approval. Also, Biosecurity New Zealand is changing how they do audits - officers will now carry out checks throughout the entire cruise season, not just at the first port of arrival. In the Bay of Plenty, we also have the Port of Tauranga Biosecurity Excellence programme, which involves the Port, KVH, Biosecurity New Zealand, and other local industry and council working together to raise awareness with frontline staff and ensure there are no biosecurity incursions through the Port.
Read more15/11/2024
Don’t forget to register for the upcoming Zespri Grower Roadshows (the first ones in Oropi and the Waikato get underway today). We look forward to seeing you there. Alongside presentations from Zespri and NZKGI, we’ll be speaking at each location, providing an update on our activities, especially our involvement in the Biosecurity Act review currently underway and our expanded role in Emergency Response Management (ERM) for the industry. The roadshows run through to Tuesday 3 December. Register here.
Read more07/11/2024
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has completed a review of the Biosecurity Act 1993 and is currently consulting on several proposed amendments. Since 2018, KVH has been actively involved in the review process, providing input on behalf of the kiwifruit industry, and it is pleasing to see that this input has been reflected in some of the proposed changes. What are the proposed changes? There are more than 70 proposed changes to the Act which vary in significance to our industry. MPI has grouped these proposals into six topics and provided discussion documents and more detailed regulatory impact assessments for each: System wide issues Funding and compensationBorder and importsReadiness and responseLong-term managementLegislative interfaces These documents can be found on the MPI website here. KVH is drafting a comprehensive submission that will address most of the proposed changes, as each has some bearing on how the biosecurity system will operate in the future, although some of the proposals are much more significant to our sector, particularly those in the sections about funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management. KVH has attended a number of workshops with other members of the primary sector to ensure we understand the major issues and help inform our position on these. Over the next month we will be testing and socialising our position with the kiwifruit industry, including industry forums such as the NZKGI Forum, Industry Advisory Council, and the Technical Forum. We welcome the opportunity for further discussion with growers on these matters and will include this as part of our presentation at the upcoming Zespri Grower Roadshows.
Read moreImplementing on-orchard biosecurity is the responsibility of every person working on or visiting an orchard.
With several high-profile pest and disease introductions into New Zealand, including Psa, kiwifruit growers and orchard workers need to be biosecurity aware to protect themselves and surrounding orchards.
Kiwifruit growers can strengthen their biosecurity plans by using the KVH-produced poster and helpful template booklet.
The 5-step booklet is a set of measures designed to protect a property from the entry and spread of pests and diseases and have been developed to provide guidance, help identify risks, and how to address them.
What is a biosecurity plan?
It's a document that outlines how you manage your orchard and how you will respond to a pest or disease outbreak. It describes your processes on-orchard and how you are addressing biosecurity risks. It can be as short, or long, as you need.
The 5-step booklet is designed to be used as a template, with tips and suggestions for customising a biosecurity plan that works for your operation and that can be built on over time. Make sure that as you personalise your own plan, you involve all orchard staff and contractors so that everyone becomes engaged with the common goal of keeping your orchard and fruit safe.
Having a biosecurity plan in a biosecurity response or an emergency is critical. Early detection and reporting give us the opportunity to suppress any kind of serious disease.
Why have a biosecurity plan?
As a grower or person in charge of an orchard, you need to have a plan that covers the steps you take when moving machinery, tools and plant material on and off your property, how you trace and record all these things, how you manage the risks that might already be present, and the steps you should take if you see anything unusual.
By having a plan written down you can get everybody who's involved in your business on the same page. Investing a little time in establishing good biosecurity practices on your orchard promises a hundredfold reward, not only through the smooth operation of day-to-day business but the avoidance of financial problems, movement restrictions, and possible market access issues in the future from unchecked disease or pest populations.
How do I complete a biosecurity plan?
KVH has designed a biosecurity plan template that you can complete either on paper or online, depending on your preference. Both versions require:
To help you personalise your plan we have a sample available here that offers ideas and guidance.
You need to keep your plan on file so that you can show it to auditors and provide it to KVH if requested in a biosecurity response. If you choose to complete your plan online a PDF copy will be available for your electronic files.
KVH investigates reports of unusual symptoms to identify and manage any biosecurity risks.
02 Dec 2024
In the last Bulletin we mentioned the consultation underway on several proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act 1993. Our draft submission is now available to view here. We welcome the opportunity for further discussion so please do get in touch at info@kvh.org.nz by 13 December when the submission is due if you have questions. The consultation and our submission have been part of our presentation at the recent Grower Roadshows too, and we thank those of you who have already spoken with us about it. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading this process and our comprehensive submission on behalf of the kiwifruit industry will address most of the proposed changes, as these have a bearing on how the biosecurity system will operate in the future. Some of the proposals are significant to our sector, particularly those in the sections about funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management.
Read more02 Dec 2024
The holidays are almost here and with them come extra biosecurity risks posed by unpacking Christmas goodies and luggage. Remember, and be sure to remind family and friends, to be on the lookout for unwanted guests of the “bug” kind and carefully unpack and check any packages or bags from overseas for hitchhiking pests. Open parcels in a closed room and if you find anything unusual, catch it, photograph it, and report it. Looking across previous years it is estimated that around 3,400 items of undeclared fresh produce will be seized from passengers over the Christmas period alone! Kiwifruit growers and other passengers associated with primary sectors travelling over the Christmas and New Year period may find they experience more interventions when returning to New Zealand. This is because they potentially pose a greater biosecurity risk based on the likelihood they may have visited offshore orchards and farms during their travels. KVH has produced a useful one-page poster outlining everything growers can do to help reduce biosecurity risk and what you can expect through border control when returning home.
Read more02 Dec 2024
With the upcoming Christmas holiday period, the last date for Hill Labs Psa testing will be Tuesday 24 December 2024. The last date for Unusual Symptom sample processing at Plant Diagnostics will be Friday 20 December (for already received samples). Services will resume at both labs from Monday 6 January 2025. Please contact KVH at info@kvh.org.nz if urgent testing is potentially required during the Christmas closure.
Read more