It’s the time of year where growers and post-harvest may have reject fruit to dispose of but need to ensure these practices are in accordance with their KVH Post-Harvest Biosecurity Plan and Regional Council requirements.

Reject fruit may be sent for commercial processing or composting, to companies registered with KVH who have demonstrated risk management practices.

Where reject fruit is to be used as stock feed, risk must be managed by the following practices:

• piles of reject fruit are covered to prevent birds mass feeding on any softened fruit. Material such as wind break mesh netting is ideal as it allows the pile to breathe but excludes the birds,
• fruit is stockpiled away from stock (ideally in a concrete bunker), fed out gradually, and the oldest fruit is always used first.
• reject fruit intended for stock feed is transported fully covered and meets KVH movement controls,
• reject fruit awaiting action is securely stored to prevent leaf dispersal and availability to birds.

The reason for excluding birds is to reduce the amount of wild kiwifruit establishing through the spread of bird-borne seed. It’s mostly waxeyes, sparrows and black birds that feed on softened fruit.