Last week, KiwiNet members came together to exchange first-hand insights from two of Biosecurity New Zealand’s recent responses.

Formed over a decade ago under the Government Industry Agreement (GIA), KiwiNet plays a vital role in supporting industry readiness and response. The network brings together key industry players - including post-harvest operators, Zespri, and NZKGI - and meets twice a year to strengthen biosecurity preparedness and ensure the kiwifruit industry can rapidly mobilise in the face of incursions.

Guest speakers Mike Lawson (Manager GIA Relations, Biosecurity New Zealand) and Kate Jones (Training Manager, New Zealand Biosecurity Services Limited) shared valuable lessons from the recent Avian Influenza response in Central Otago and the two Oriental Fruit Fly responses in Auckland earlier this year.

A panel session gave attendees a deeper understanding of fruit fly response operations, with direct input from industry responders who were on the ground. As an industry, we contributed 80 response days’ worth of labour, so there was no shortage of practical insight. Discussions also explored contingency plans in the event a breeding population had been detected, including the potential impact on orchard and post-harvest operations.

Zespri also presented on the systems in place to ensure continuity of fruit supply during a response, particularly during the critical harvest period.

Read more about fruit fly preparedness here and our other biggest industry threat, Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, here.