The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has today announced the Auckland fruit fly eradication operation has been successful and New Zealand is once again ‘fruit fly-free’ - click here for MPI's release.

Field staff cleared fruit fly traps in Grey Lynn for the final time this morning and found no signs of the Queensland Fruit Fly. The last fruit flies were found in the affected area on 7 March.

KVH has been actively involved in the response, at both a governance level and also operationally. The kiwifruit industry was also quick to make resource available to support the eradication efforts.

KVH congratulates MPI and all those involved in the response for the successful outcome; and also thanks the Grey Lynn community affected by the movement controls and the response activities. Community support during the eradication programme was essential to help achieve eradication.

This news is a huge relief to New Zealand kiwifruit growers and other horticulture industries. As kiwifruit’s ‘most unwanted’ pest, the impacts of Queensland fruit flies establishing in New Zealand would be catastrophic to NZ’s thriving horticulture industries and their ability to export. A report on the financial impact to the kiwifruit industry if Queensland Fruit Fly established in New Zealand, estimates costs of up to $430 million per year.

The risk from unwanted fruit flies remains and KVH will continue to work with MPI to ensure the risks through border entry are managed.