Representatives from across the kiwifruit industry met last week for the bi-annual KiwiNet workshop, facilitied by KVH to build and share biosecurity expertise.

Around 40 participants attended the days presentations which focussed on learnings for the kiwifruit industry from the Mycoplasma bovis response; the importance of traceability schemes and how a kiwifruit one could be developed; Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) updates from the last high-risk season and what worked during the national education/awareness campaign; information about the recent Actinidia consultation; and container inspection and cleaning processes at facilities servicing the local area.

Attendees also discussed the importance of reporting unusual symptoms and how these are then investigated by KVH, Plant and Food Research and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). Growers are encouraged to use the unusual symptoms section of the KVH website to view recent reports, look at images of symptoms, and easily download individual fact sheets on each investigation.

KiwiNet is a network of people selected from across the kiwifruit industry who champion biosecurity knowledge and readiness and coordinate the deployment of industry resources into biosecurity responses. You can read more about the work of the network and presentations here.