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Activities are under way and extra field teams are today in Papatoetoe, Auckland, after the find of a single male Oriental fruit fly in a suburban backyard surveillance trap. Biosecurity New Zealand has confirmed checks of the other 187 traps in the Papatoetoe/Mangere area did not find any fruit flies in them, however, previous experience with the successful eradication of several different types of fruit fly is that other insects might be found, so it is important we move quickly. Trapping and testing are being ramped up, with daily checks in a 200m zone from the original find and three daily testing in a second zone out to 1500m. There have been 12 incursions of different fruit fly in Auckland and Northland since 1996 and all have been successfully eradicated, thanks to the combined efforts of Biosecurity New Zealand, horticulture partners including KVH, and local communities. KVH is working closely with Biosecurity New Zealand and other horticultural Government Industry Agreement (GIA) partners on these actions to minimise the risk to kiwifruit growers. The main points for kiwifruit growers to note at this stage are: There are field teams out in the area checking properties and setting traps to attract any fruit flies that may be in the area. The aim is to find any population present and eradicate it. The Oriental fruit fly is a serious horticultural pest. It feeds on and spoils a wide range of fruit and vegetables. It is important that we understand as soon as possible if the insect is a solitary find or if there is a bigger breeding population in Papatoetoe. Until we issue further information, if you live or work in Papatoetoe, do not take any whole fresh fruit and vegetables out of your property. Home and business owners around the location will be receiving information shortly from Biosecurity New Zealand about what actions to take. More instructions, including a map of the affected zones and details of the requirements for each zone, will be issued once the initial investigation is completed. New Zealand’s biosecurity surveillance traps do a good job of locating any fruit flies in the area. However, if you find larvae in fruit from your garden (they look like small grains of rice), report it to us on 0800 665 825 or call Biosecurity New Zealand on 0800 80 99 66. This find shows the effectiveness of our surveillance trapping system – there are more than 7,800 traps set nationwide and checked regularly. These enable us to find fruit flies early and enable a faster and more effective response if finds are made. Read more about Oriental fruit flies here – including images. Read more about the detection and response activities on the Biosecurity New Zealand website here.

Merry Christmas from the KVH team. We wish you a safe and relaxing holiday period with your loved ones. The KVH office will be closed from Monday 23 December 2024 and will reopen at 8.30am on Monday 6 January 2025. If any urgent issues arise during this period, please feel free to get in touch by email or report unusual pest or disease symptoms on kiwifruit or vines online here. We will be regularly monitoring these channels and will respond as soon as possible. For urgent reporting of any unusual pests or diseases, the Biosecurity New Zealand hotline (0800 80 99 66) operates 24/7 over the holidays as per usual.

KVH’s submission on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act (as completed and submitted on Friday 13 December) can be read here. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading the review consultation process and our comprehensive submission on behalf of the kiwifruit industry addresses most of the proposed changes, as these have a bearing on how the biosecurity system will operate in the future. Significant areas for our sector that we have commented on relate to funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management. MPI will now analyse submissions, publish a summary, and make recommendations to the Minister for Biosecurity. It is anticipated Cabinet will consider final policy proposals in 2025. Thank you to those who have discussed the submission with us. We welcome any further questions or feedback about the process at info@kvh.org.nz. Visit the MPI Biosecurity Act review webpage for detailed proposed amendments information Read more about how we developed our submission

In the last Bulletin we mentioned the consultation underway on several proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act 1993. Our draft submission is now available to view here. We welcome the opportunity for further discussion so please do get in touch at info@kvh.org.nz by 13 December when the submission is due if you have questions. The consultation and our submission have been part of our presentation at the recent Grower Roadshows too, and we thank those of you who have already spoken with us about it. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading this process and our comprehensive submission on behalf of the kiwifruit industry will address most of the proposed changes, as these have a bearing on how the biosecurity system will operate in the future. Some of the proposals are significant to our sector, particularly those in the sections about funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management.

The holidays are almost here and with them come extra biosecurity risks posed by unpacking Christmas goodies and luggage. Remember, and be sure to remind family and friends, to be on the lookout for unwanted guests of the “bug” kind and carefully unpack and check any packages or bags from overseas for hitchhiking pests. Open parcels in a closed room and if you find anything unusual, catch it, photograph it, and report it. Looking across previous years it is estimated that around 3,400 items of undeclared fresh produce will be seized from passengers over the Christmas period alone! Kiwifruit growers and other passengers associated with primary sectors travelling over the Christmas and New Year period may find they experience more interventions when returning to New Zealand. This is because they potentially pose a greater biosecurity risk based on the likelihood they may have visited offshore orchards and farms during their travels. KVH has produced a useful one-page poster outlining everything growers can do to help reduce biosecurity risk and what you can expect through border control when returning home.

With the upcoming Christmas holiday period, the last date for Hill Labs Psa testing will be Tuesday 24 December 2024. The last date for Unusual Symptom sample processing at Plant Diagnostics will be Friday 20 December (for already received samples). Services will resume at both labs from Monday 6 January 2025. Please contact KVH at info@kvh.org.nz if urgent testing is potentially required during the Christmas closure.