Importance of monitoring

KVH strives to ensure that the kiwifruit industry is resilient to any future biosecurity incursions. As growers there are some simple things you can do to help us achieve this vision and protect your investment from biosecurity threats.

Monitoring vines for unusual symptoms is our current industry surveillance programme. If a new pest or pathogen were to arrive, our best chance of a successful response is to detect it early, and to achieve that we need growers to report any unusual symptoms as soon as possible so that we may take appropriate action. KVH will investigate and in nearly all cases the issue will not be related to a biosecurity threat, but by reporting you can sleep easier knowing you have done the right thing but also gained some free advice or diagnostic testing to indicate what may have been causing the issue.

Not only is reporting unusual symptoms the right thing to do, it’s also a legal requirement under the National Kiwifruit Pathway Management Plan to monitor before moving any plant material and notify KVH if unusual symptoms are observed.

It is also a requirement under the Pathway Plan and Zespri GAP to keep traceability records of plant material movements on and off your orchard. If it turns out that the unusual symptoms are associated with a high-risk organism, we need to know where else to look and the movement of plant material is the highest risk pathway for spreading pests and pathogens. It is important that records are accurate and complete and readily accessible should they be required.