Kiwifruit left to rot on Bay of Plenty roadside

22 September 2016
A load of kiwifruit was spilled onto a Bay of Plenty roadside recently when the truck driver swerved to avoid an accident. Although part of the load was cleaned up at the time, a lot of fruit remained along the drain and adjoining bank, quickly becoming a rotting mess and attracting complaints. Once brought to the attention of KVH and the Bay of Plenty Regional Councils Pollution Prevention team, the trucking company and nearby postharvest company were advised and the trucking company immediately cleaned up what contractors hadn’t removed in the first instance. While this incident had a good end result, KVH urges any kiwifruit industry company involved in a spill or pollution event to contact KVH and their local regional council immediately after to seek advice and assistance to remedy the problem. Fermenting fruit can pollute waterways and present a seed-source for birds. Once spread, these seeds can grow into wild kiwifruit vines in native bush and forestry blocks, smothering native bush and posing a risk of spreading Psa. A pro-active call for help is always preferable to the risk of legal action for leaving a polluted site. KVH thanks the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the trucking company involved in the clean-up for completing the required work.