Industry stink bug surveillance
There’s a new industry-led exotic stink bug surveillance system in the Bay of Plenty, thanks to post-harvest organisations and KVH.
With the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) high-risk season upon us, planning is well underway for upcoming surveillance activities during the peak of the season, which involve traps at local facilities.
As part of this, a workshop was held at KVH recently with our nominated post-harvest BMSB champions. We had a fantastic turn out, with everyone coming together for training on how to monitor the traps effectively and discuss the importance of keeping BMSB out of New Zealand (for our industry and communities).
The 2024 industry surveillance network involves 16 pack-houses, from Mount Maunganui and Te Puke to Te Puna and Katikati. Traps are initially set-up by KVH, then monitored by post-harvest staff, with a view to develop industry capability over the longer term. This new project enhances nationwide surveillance efforts while raising awareness of stink bugs across the kiwifruit industry and providing practical, tangible monitoring activities. Importantly, it also builds capability within the industry for any stink bug response, whether that be specifically dedicated to kiwifruit or to assist in joint efforts involving other industries.
Further to our industry programme, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) oversees the national BMSB surveillance programme, which operates on an entry risk basis, associated with past detections and pathway risk, using lure traps and vegetation searches on a fortnightly basis during the high-risk season of September through to the end April each year.
Most trapping efforts are concentrated in the main centres, primarily Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.
KVH is a strong supporter of the national programme, which includes 160 traps at 80 sites (two traps at each site) and in addition, we fund 12 additional traps at six sites to supplement traps in the Bay of Plenty where the majority of our kiwifruit is produced.
