NZ: Wet weather rains down misery on kiwifruit growers

The wet weather over New Year's hasn't only annoyed campers and holidaymakers - it's also a concern for many kiwifruit growers. The industry is still dealing with the destructive PSA bacteria, which can be spread by rain. Rain is vital for kiwifruit orchards, but these days it also brings concerns for growers. Splashing can spread the PSA bacteria, so there are fears of more infections after the recent downpours in the Bay of Plenty. "When that happens, around a week to two weeks after that, you'll see a spate of new infections, either within already infected orchards, or within orchards that haven't been infected right now," says Neil Trebilco of Kiwifruit Growers.

Severe PSA infection can kill vines, and Mr Trebilco says that affects the wider economy, as well as growers. "When you have a threat like PSA threatening to wipe you out, it's not only gonna wipe your orchard out, it's gonna wipe you out financially. And so, at Christmas time, who wants that sort of news?" PSA was first discovered in New Zealand in November 2010. At last count, 933 orchards had been identified as infected. Most of those are in Te Puke, where shop owner Simon Lu says his business has been down around 30 percent compared with last year. "Sometimes we talk to other business owners," he says.

"Everybody feels the pressure of the PSA affecting our town." Mr Trebilco says there is an upside to the rain as growers try out new kiwifruit varieties thought to be more resistant to PSA. "So over the next month or so, we'll be looking at these new varieties very carefully just to see what effect PSA is having on them, and to see whether these extended wet periods are causing a problem for them, or whether they are actually a good solution for us going forward as an industry." Even so, a break from the recent deluges will surely bring some peace of mind for orchardists.

Source: 3news.co.nz