Kiwifruit group wants more input in fruit fly control
Chairman Peter Ombler says Kiwifruit Vine Health had talks with the Ministry for Primary Industries and hopes to share joint responsibility with fruit fly trap procedures.
"Currently that is the ministry's domain but we are having dialogue with them right now about how we could do that better. We are asking questions such as if we have enough traps because it is our view that a few more are needed in the Bay of Plenty."
It makes sense that the kiwifruit industry is involved, Ombler says.
"We could potentially have more traps placed in orchards and could have orchardists or post-harvest pest monitoring centres clearing those traps.
However, it would have to stack up for its trading partners.
"They would have to be comfortable with the programme's integrity and that we could do it properly. However, I have no doubt we can and it's just another part in the joint responsibility puzzle."
Queensland fruit fly is the biggest threat to the industry at the moment.
"There have been a couple of recent finds in Whangarei so there certainly appears to an emerging greater risk on the eastern seaboard of Australia."
Tougher penalties at the border and New Zealanders understanding biosecurity risks were other issues.
"The penalties are probably not enough ... it would be good to get biosecurity into that same space where you know the penalties are tough enough to keep people focused and also why we are doing it, to really understand that the consequences of getting it wrong are immense."
MPI surveillance and incursion investigation manager Brendan Gould says the kiwifruit industry recently signed a deed of agreement under the Government Industry Agreement (GIA) programme to work together on readiness and response for priority pests and diseases -- such as fruit fly -- and on managing them if an incursion occurs.
It was yet to finalise the detail around what joint preparedness activity would be undertaken, he said.
"Development of an operational agreement for fruit fly readiness and response is currently under way with relevant horticultural industries, including kiwifruit, pipfruit, citrus, summer fruit, avocados, wine grapes, and tomatoes. The benefits of working in partnership with industry during a response includes more efficient and effective responses, and better use and prioritisation of skills and resources within MPI and industry."
There are about 7500 traps in the National Fruit Fly Surveillance Programme, with about 355 in the Bay of Plenty.
Source: nzherald.co.nz
