The Government has put its hands in its pocket for $25 million, subject to a dollar-for-dollar match from the kiwifruit industry, to fund an urgent aggressive containment strategy to fight PSA disease.
Biosecurity Minister David Carter says that if the plan is supported by kiwifruit growers, the $50 million fighting fund will be immediately available to tackle the spread of Psa threatening New Zealand’s $1.5 billion dollar kiwifruit industry.
The funding package will provide limited grower compensation for income loss, management techniques and continued research into the disease.
Mr Carter says industry consultation will take place over the next two days.
“I think the industry is mature enough to see this as a very generous and immediate response from Government showing that we recognise the seriousness of the situation to our kiwifruit industry.
"I don’t expect them to reject this."
"The industry needs to move into a longer term management strategy. They have acknowledged with me that that is something that they will fund as an industry. I do not expect them to come back asking for more Government assistance.”
The assistance package comes with the news that MAF reports positive tests from orchards in five areas outside Te Puke including Edgecumbe, Whakatane, Hawke’s Bay, Motueka and Golden Bay.
“At this stage we have somewhere around 300 hectares infected. This plan is on the basis that the area will increase over the next few weeks, so we’re anticipating we could have to be aggressively pruning up to 700 hectares of kiwifruit orchards," said Mr Carter
37 orchards around the country have confirmed PSA infections, including eight with the green variety kiwifruit.
Zespri chief executive Lain Jager is welcoming news of the Government’s aid, saying the industry needs to take urgent action with an aggressive containment programme for New Zealand’s important export earner.
Mr Carter said the kiwifruit industry and Government will develop an agreement targeting how future biosecurity incursions should be managed.
