Last week we had the privilege of hosting Raimundo (Technical Manager), and Luis (Director of Innovation Research), from Abud & Cia who were visiting from Chile for the International Symposium on Kiwifruit.

Not only was it a great opportunity to network and collaborate within the industry, it was also a great chance to take them out into the field to observe the netting put in place on Bay of Plenty orchards to exclude Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB).

We were also able to give them a BMSB trapping demo, highlighting the surveillance work KVH has put in place across the region with the help of post-harvest facilities and staff.

Building these international relationships helps us keep up to date with the spread and impact of exotic pests and diseases globally which ultimately leads to improved preparedness efforts here in New Zealand.

Image: KVH staff with Chilean visitors.