In response to the detection of an Oriental fruit fly in Papatoetoe earlier this month, legal restrictions on the movement of fruits and vegetables will persist for the upcoming weeks. This measure is part of a broader strategy to prevent the establishment of this pest in New Zealand, thereby safeguarding the kiwifruit industry and other horticultural exports. The continuation of these restrictions until mid-February aligns with expert guidance on the Oriental fruit fly's lifecycle, aiming to ensure the absence of a breeding population.
Collaborative efforts among sector groups, including KVH, Punchbowl, and APAC personnel, support the ongoing intensified operational activities. These actions are deemed necessary to maintain New Zealand's fruit fly-free status. To this end, monitoring through fruit fly traps and the examination of over 200kg of produce by specialist staff in a mobile laboratory for larval presence has not yielded any further detections of the Oriental fruit fly.
The established movement controls within the designated A and B Zones in Papatoetoe, along with the protocols for produce waste disposal, will remain unaltered during this period.
Source: KVH