Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Kiwifruit

New Zealand kiwifruit growers are facing challenging times as some battle with the kiwifruit vine disease, Psa.

It is a very serious situation for New Zealand’s billion dollar kiwifruit industry as we know Psa has devastated crops overseas, especially in Italy.

A programme of aggressive containment is the immediate action and the key to this is a collaborative approach between Government and industry.

I’ve been in the Bay of Plenty in recent weeks with the MAF Biosecurity response team and Zespri who are working very closely with growers on the issue.

The Government is fully committed to working with industry and all necessary resources are being made available to fight the disease.

The response is likely to require a significant financial commitment from both Government and industry, and we stand ready to deliver this commitment as needed.