Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
20/12/2024
Merry Christmas from the KVH team. We wish you a safe and relaxing holiday period with your loved ones. The KVH office will be closed from Monday 23 December 2024 and will reopen at 8.30am on Monday 6 January 2025. If any urgent issues arise during this period, please feel free to get in touch by email or report unusual pest or disease symptoms on kiwifruit or vines online here. We will be regularly monitoring these channels and will respond as soon as possible. For urgent reporting of any unusual pests or diseases, the Biosecurity New Zealand hotline (0800 80 99 66) operates 24/7 over the holidays as per usual.
Read more13/12/2024
KVH’s submission on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act (as completed and submitted on Friday 13 December) can be read here. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading the review consultation process and our comprehensive submission on behalf of the kiwifruit industry addresses most of the proposed changes, as these have a bearing on how the biosecurity system will operate in the future. Significant areas for our sector that we have commented on relate to funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management. MPI will now analyse submissions, publish a summary, and make recommendations to the Minister for Biosecurity. It is anticipated Cabinet will consider final policy proposals in 2025. Thank you to those who have discussed the submission with us. We welcome any further questions or feedback about the process at info@kvh.org.nz. Visit the MPI Biosecurity Act review webpage for detailed proposed amendments information Read more about how we developed our submission
Read more02/12/2024
In the last Bulletin we mentioned the consultation underway on several proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act 1993. Our draft submission is now available to view here. We welcome the opportunity for further discussion so please do get in touch at info@kvh.org.nz by 13 December when the submission is due if you have questions. The consultation and our submission have been part of our presentation at the recent Grower Roadshows too, and we thank those of you who have already spoken with us about it. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading this process and our comprehensive submission on behalf of the kiwifruit industry will address most of the proposed changes, as these have a bearing on how the biosecurity system will operate in the future. Some of the proposals are significant to our sector, particularly those in the sections about funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management.
Read more02/12/2024
The holidays are almost here and with them come extra biosecurity risks posed by unpacking Christmas goodies and luggage. Remember, and be sure to remind family and friends, to be on the lookout for unwanted guests of the “bug” kind and carefully unpack and check any packages or bags from overseas for hitchhiking pests. Open parcels in a closed room and if you find anything unusual, catch it, photograph it, and report it. Looking across previous years it is estimated that around 3,400 items of undeclared fresh produce will be seized from passengers over the Christmas period alone! Kiwifruit growers and other passengers associated with primary sectors travelling over the Christmas and New Year period may find they experience more interventions when returning to New Zealand. This is because they potentially pose a greater biosecurity risk based on the likelihood they may have visited offshore orchards and farms during their travels. KVH has produced a useful one-page poster outlining everything growers can do to help reduce biosecurity risk and what you can expect through border control when returning home.
Read more02/12/2024
With the upcoming Christmas holiday period, the last date for Hill Labs Psa testing will be Tuesday 24 December 2024. The last date for Unusual Symptom sample processing at Plant Diagnostics will be Friday 20 December (for already received samples). Services will resume at both labs from Monday 6 January 2025. Please contact KVH at info@kvh.org.nz if urgent testing is potentially required during the Christmas closure.
Read more04/12/2024
Earlier this week KiwiNet members from across post-harvest organisations, and representatives from Farmlands, Horticentre and Fruitfed, met with KVH for an industry biosecurity and readiness update. This included a review of the KiwiNet purpose and ongoing value to the industry, 10 years on from the initial launch in 2014. As a theme setter Lisa Gibbison presented the findings from her recently completed Kellogg project “Who do growers trust in a time of crisis?”. A key message was the value of developing and maintaining networks across time as these build the trust that knits people together in times of crisis. KVH and Zespri were seen as trusted industry leaders. Matt Dyck, KVH Biosecurity Manager outlined the interaction between the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and support organisations in the event of a biosecurity response, and the commonalities between readiness training for biosecurity and the newer industry Emergency Response Management (ERM) framework in which KVH also has a key role. Updates on our industry surveillance projects, a whirlwind global overview of biosecurity challenges, and a short update on unusual symptoms highlighted both the emerging threats and the valuable research projects and collaborations that are ongoing in the biosecurity space. More information about KiwiNet can be found here. A copy of Lisa’s Kellogg research project and presentations from the workshop will be posted on the KVH website shortly.
Read more02/12/2024
Next in our series of team member introductions, is Senior Biosecurity Advisor, Erin Lane. We started this series to share more about the roles we have, and how each of us interact with you, our readers and growers, in our day-to-day activities. I joined KVH in February 2019, coming from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) where I worked as a Quarantine Officer in Auckland and later in Wellington on regulation and developing response and readiness plans. My primary role here at KVH is to work with both growers and the wider kiwifruit industry to raise awareness about biosecurity threats and to support the industry in managing any risks that do arise. One of the biggest threats to kiwifruit – and many other fruit and vegetable industries in New Zealand - is the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB). An interesting fact about me and my travels is that I’ve worked closely with the Japanese vehicle and machinery industry to ensure their supply chains are biosecurity robust and that vehicles and machines arriving in New Zealand are free of these bugs. This involved spending six weeks working out of the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo, traveling across Japan to meet with manufacturers, inspect factories, storage facilities, and ports to assess risks. I’m probably most well-known for my role in reviewing the most unwanted threat list for the kiwifruit industry, drawing on my knowledge and experience of import pathways and treatments. The most unwanted list is what we use to produce a lot of the resources we create for the industry. I really enjoy being part of the kiwifruit industry and raising my young family here in the Bay of Plenty. I look forward to continuing KVH’s important work with you all.
Read more27/11/2024
Merry Christmas from the KVH team. We wish you a safe and relaxing holiday period with your loved ones. The KVH office will be closed from Monday 23 December 2024 and will reopen at 8.30am on Monday 6 January 2025. If any urgent issues arise during this period, please feel free to get in touch by email or report unusual pest or disease symptoms online here. For urgent reporting of unusual pests and diseases, the Biosecurity New Zealand hotline (0800 80 99 66) operates 24/7 as per usual.
Read more18/11/2024
In the last Bulletin we mentioned the consultation underway on several proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act 1993. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading this process and KVH is currently completing a comprehensive submission on behalf of the kiwifruit industry that will address most of the proposed changes, as these have a bearing on how the biosecurity system will operate in the future. Some of the proposals are significant to our sector, particularly those in the sections about funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management. Our draft submission is now available to view here. We welcome the opportunity for further discussion so please do get in touch at info@kvh.org.nz at any stage if you have questions. The consultation will be part of our presentation at the upcoming Zespri Grower Roadshows too.
Read more18/11/2024
Coming soon to your screens is a brand-new kiwifruit industry biosecurity champions video, about the importance of good biosecurity as part of good business practice. The video features DMS staff, namely Technical & Innovation Manager Cam Clayton, and the work they day every day to ensure we are protected from the threat of harmful pests and diseases reaching orchards and spreading unknowingly. Watch this space as the final product won’t be far away. You can watch the video now on the KVH YouTube channel.
Read more15/11/2024
In the last issue of the Bulletin, we started our meet the team series, sharing more about the roles we have, and how each of us interact with you, our readers and growers, in our day-to-day activities. This week, we introduce Anna Li. I’m Anna and I joined KVH in August 2024 as the Systems Coordinator. My role is to support KVH’s IT infrastructure and security and provide data and mapping support to the team. I also create practical new tools and systems for KVH that we can use for online services to growers, particularly around traceability. My background spans web development, software programming, and mapping. I have a horticulture certificate too, which gives me deep insights into pest and disease control within orchard management. Before joining KVH, I was a professional landscape architect – something I’m still really interested in. I worked on residential projects and large public spaces, and gained valuable experience in mapping, which I use to this day. I’m excited to be part of KVH and look forward to working with you all to support our growers.
Read more19/11/2024
The 2024/25 cruise season in New Zealand is officially underway, with 45 cruise ships set to make a total of 957 stops around the country. Four cruise lines that haven’t been here since pre-Covid times are also coming back. We often get questions from growers about Biosecurity New Zealand’s Recognised Cruise Line Programme (RCLP), which checks how cruise lines handle risks. Here’s a rundown of what’s covered in the programme: Refuse management – such as using steam to sterilise bottles and containers that have been used for food.Pest and provision management – ensuring things like live plants are treated, pest traps are checked, and there’s a solid plan for managing pests in provisions.Passenger management – for example, limiting the serving of whole fruit and honey, and making sure passengers get biosecurity information at least two days before arriving.Biosecurity awareness – this includes making sure crew members are well trained. Starting this season, operators with a good track record of compliance may be able to keep their approval status for up to three years for both topside and underwater biosecurity. Evaluations will still happen every year, and operators will need to meet strict standards to maintain their approval. Also, Biosecurity New Zealand is changing how they do audits - officers will now carry out checks throughout the entire cruise season, not just at the first port of arrival. In the Bay of Plenty, we also have the Port of Tauranga Biosecurity Excellence programme, which involves the Port, KVH, Biosecurity New Zealand, and other local industry and council working together to raise awareness with frontline staff and ensure there are no biosecurity incursions through the Port.
Read moreWhen information about unusual symptoms is reported to KVH (by growers, contractors, pack-house staff and others visiting orchards) it is then looked into to be sure that any biosecurity risk is identified, managed and the growers involved are well supported if any further action needs to be taken.
KVH prepares full reports on every investigation which you can read about by clicking on the link below. This information is provided to help growers, and others in the kiwifruit industry, identify similar symptoms they may be seeing on their own properties and to increase general awareness of how growers need to be reporting unusual symptoms that they may be seeing.
Reporting the unusual is a good thing – it shows that as an industry we are all on the lookout and aware of the need to report potential biosecurity threats that could be significant risks to the industry.
Growers, contractors, and anyone else on-orchard are the best people to spot anything unusual early on. If it's a pest or bug you're reporting, catch it if you can and take a photo. If it's a disease symptom on a plant, tree, or vine, take some clear photos but try not to touch it. Remember, the sooner a report is made and looked into, the more we can do to slow the spread and limit impacts.
Stay vigilant, be on the lookout, and report anything you notice to KVH online; on 0800 665 825; or call the Biosecurity New Zealand pest and disease hotline 24/7 on 0800 80 99 66.
You can also make reports online by submitting images to Biosecurity New Zealand here or by using the free Find-A-Pest app here to help ID pests of concern.
The potential benefit to our industry of making a report cannot be overestimated, and the earlier something is reported the greater chance we have of eradicating it.
Although generic and only slightly different for each report and case, there is a process for what happens next that you can be assured of, and that will always include ongoing support and contact with KVH.
After reporting | Description | Actions I can take to ensure smooth-running |
Identification, assessment and response | The suspicious find is identified. In most instances it is found to not be of concern with no further action required, or not new to New Zealand and managed on-orchard. If the organism is found to be new to New Zealand, Biosecurity New Zealand will undertake an investigation to determine risk of the organism and feasibility of undertaking action. Biosecurity New Zealand will contain the pest/pathogen to understand more about it and the impact it may have. | Timeframes from notification to a response decision vary. For pests with serious impacts that we know a lot about (like fruit fly) it can be immediate, but for others the investigation may take weeks. After reporting you need to be prepared to access and provide records and information when requested (traceability information of plant material movements on and off the property is critical for a successful response); follow directions to manage the pest/pathogen; respect confidentiality to avoid unnecessary market reaction. |
Effect on OGR | Most reports of unusual symptoms turn out to not be a biosecurity threat and there are no implications for growers. However, if a response is activated and losses are incurred because of response activities, you will be eligible for compensation under the Biosecurity Act (subject to some conditions). |
|
Who to talk to | KVH provides regular information advice about managing identified pests/pathogens and how a response is unfolding. NZKGI provides advice and support information to growers. Post-harvest operators help with operations and advice. | Ensure you have stored or noted phone numbers and contact details for KVH, NZKGI and your post-harvest operator, and make sure they can be found in your absence. |
KVH investigates reports of unusual symptoms to identify and manage any biosecurity risks.
20 Dec 2024
Merry Christmas from the KVH team. We wish you a safe and relaxing holiday period with your loved ones. The KVH office will be closed from Monday 23 December 2024 and will reopen at 8.30am on Monday 6 January 2025. If any urgent issues arise during this period, please feel free to get in touch by email or report unusual pest or disease symptoms on kiwifruit or vines online here. We will be regularly monitoring these channels and will respond as soon as possible. For urgent reporting of any unusual pests or diseases, the Biosecurity New Zealand hotline (0800 80 99 66) operates 24/7 over the holidays as per usual.
Read more13 Dec 2024
KVH’s submission on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act (as completed and submitted on Friday 13 December) can be read here. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading the review consultation process and our comprehensive submission on behalf of the kiwifruit industry addresses most of the proposed changes, as these have a bearing on how the biosecurity system will operate in the future. Significant areas for our sector that we have commented on relate to funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management. MPI will now analyse submissions, publish a summary, and make recommendations to the Minister for Biosecurity. It is anticipated Cabinet will consider final policy proposals in 2025. Thank you to those who have discussed the submission with us. We welcome any further questions or feedback about the process at info@kvh.org.nz. Visit the MPI Biosecurity Act review webpage for detailed proposed amendments information Read more about how we developed our submission
Read more02 Dec 2024
In the last Bulletin we mentioned the consultation underway on several proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act 1993. Our draft submission is now available to view here. We welcome the opportunity for further discussion so please do get in touch at info@kvh.org.nz by 13 December when the submission is due if you have questions. The consultation and our submission have been part of our presentation at the recent Grower Roadshows too, and we thank those of you who have already spoken with us about it. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading this process and our comprehensive submission on behalf of the kiwifruit industry will address most of the proposed changes, as these have a bearing on how the biosecurity system will operate in the future. Some of the proposals are significant to our sector, particularly those in the sections about funding and compensation, readiness and response, and long-term management.
Read more