Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
10/08/2026
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 more14/08/2026
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 more10/08/2026
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 more14/08/2026
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 more14/08/2026
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 more30/07/2026
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 more30/07/2026
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 more30/07/2026
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 more30/07/2026
We’re currently reviewing the National Kiwifruit Pathway Management Plan (Pathway Plan) and there’s still a couple of days left to have your say and win. The review aims to ensure the Pathway Plan remains fit-for-purpose for managing biosecurity risks across the kiwifruit industry, and will help identify what's working well, where improvements can be made, and which areas should be prioritised for the future. Your feedback is important and we want to hear from growers, orchard managers, contractors, nursery operators, post-harvest representatives, consultants, and others involved in the kiwifruit industry. The survey takes around five minutes to complete, and everyone who participates can enter a prize draw to win one of two $100 Prezzy cards. Contact details collected for the draw will be kept separate from survey responses and used only for administering the prize draw. Have your say here.
Read more30/07/2026
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is coming up and grower members have now received AGM packs, including personalised voting information, by email from Electionz. If an email address was not available, Electionz have posted printed copies to members. A copy of the AGM packs can be viewed on the KVH website here. Nominations have been received for two candidates for the Grower Director vacancy – Dave Tanner and James Towers. Therefore, an election is required. Profiles for each are included in the AGM pack. For reference you can directly view Dave’s profile here and James’s profile here. The AGM will be followed by the NZKGI and Zespri annual meetings. Where: Mercury Baypark, Mount Maunganui When: 9.00am, Thursday 20 August
Read more27/07/2026
We’ve published our 2025/26 Annual Report, providing a comprehensive overview of how biosecurity readiness translated into real-world outcomes over the past year. The report reflects a year where preparedness was put to the test, including responses to fruit fly incursions, a brown marmorated stink bug detection, and the ongoing yellow-legged hornet response. It highlights KVH’s key achievements and performance outcomes, while also demonstrating how levy investment was used to deliver biosecurity outcomes for the industry. Read the 2025/26 report.
Read more16/07/2026
📌There’s still time to register for the KVH Biosecurity Symposium on 5 August, bringing together biosecurity experts, researchers and industry leaders from New Zealand and Australia to explore latest threats, innovations, and preparedness measures. Save your spot now and go in the draw to win a prize on the day! 📌Growers are also encouraged to join us at the KVH Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 20 August. AGM packs and online voting information will be emailed during the last week of July.
Read moreWhen information about unusual symptoms is reported to KVH (by growers, contractors, pack-house staff and others visiting orchards) it is then looked into to be sure that any biosecurity risk is identified, managed and the growers involved are well supported if any further action needs to be taken.
KVH prepares full reports on every investigation which you can read about by clicking on the link below. This information is provided to help growers, and others in the kiwifruit industry, identify similar symptoms they may be seeing on their own properties and to increase general awareness of how growers need to be reporting unusual symptoms that they may be seeing.
Reporting the unusual is a good thing – it shows that as an industry we are all on the lookout and aware of the need to report potential biosecurity threats that could be significant risks to the industry.
Growers, contractors, and anyone else on-orchard are the best people to spot anything unusual early on. If it's a pest or bug you're reporting, catch it if you can and take a photo. If it's a disease symptom on a plant, tree, or vine, take some clear photos but try not to touch it. Remember, the sooner a report is made and looked into, the more we can do to slow the spread and limit impacts.
Stay vigilant, be on the lookout, and report anything you notice to KVH online or on 0800 665 825 during business hours.
You can also call the Biosecurity New Zealand pest and disease hotline 24/7 on 0800 80 99 66 or make reports online by submitting images to Biosecurity New Zealand here.
The potential benefit to our industry of making a report cannot be overestimated, and the earlier something is reported the greater chance we have of eradicating it.
Although generic and only slightly different for each report and case, there is a process for what happens next that you can be assured of, and that will always include ongoing support and contact with KVH.
After reporting | Description | Actions I can take to ensure smooth-running |
Identification, assessment and response | The suspicious find is identified. In most instances it is found to not be of concern with no further action required, or not new to New Zealand and managed on-orchard. If the organism is found to be new to New Zealand, Biosecurity New Zealand will undertake an investigation to determine risk of the organism and feasibility of undertaking action. Biosecurity New Zealand will contain the pest/pathogen to understand more about it and the impact it may have. | Timeframes from notification to a response decision vary. For pests with serious impacts that we know a lot about (like fruit fly) it can be immediate, but for others the investigation may take weeks. After reporting you need to be prepared to access and provide records and information when requested (traceability information of plant material movements on and off the property is critical for a successful response); follow directions to manage the pest/pathogen; respect confidentiality to avoid unnecessary market reaction. |
Effect on OGR | Most reports of unusual symptoms turn out to not be a biosecurity threat and there are no implications for growers. However, if a response is activated and losses are incurred because of response activities, you will be eligible for compensation under the Biosecurity Act (subject to some conditions). |
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Who to talk to | KVH provides regular information advice about managing identified pests/pathogens and how a response is unfolding. NZKGI provides advice and support information to growers. Post-harvest operators help with operations and advice. | Ensure you have stored or noted phone numbers and contact details for KVH, NZKGI and your post-harvest operator, and make sure they can be found in your absence. |
KVH investigates reports of unusual symptoms to identify and manage any biosecurity risks.
10 Aug 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 more14 Aug 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 more10 Aug 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