Following a recent request by the Italian National Plant Protection Organisation and a New Zealand importer, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is working on an Import Health Standard for Actinidia nursery stock, specifically for plants in vitro (tissue culture). This pathway has not been active since 2013 as a result of the Psa incursion.

The importation of new kiwifruit material is recognised as an important component in maintaining the competitive advantage of our industry, however the risk of introducing new biosecurity threats must be carefully managed. Tissue culture is regarded as the most promising process for producing clean material and provides the opportunity for verification measures to be included in the production process to ensure risks are managed to an acceptable level.

At this point MPI are engaging with stakeholders to identify where further information could be provided to inform risk management decisions. KVH has been asked by MPI to participate in the process and will be fully engaged to ensure the associated biosecurity risks are fully addressed. More detailed consultation will occur with industry in 2018 but KVH will keep growers fully informed before any decisions are made on the outcome of this pathway.