Good news for Kerikeri kiwifruit growers as eagerly awaited laboratory results have been unable to confirm a positive Psa-V test from two weeks ago.

The latest update from Kiwifruit Vine Health says a laboratory verification process has been unable to confirm a preliminary positive Psa-V test from a Kerikeri Gold orchard, and that further testing on other kiwifruit vine material in the region has also been negative.

General Manager of KVH, John Burke says this is good news for growers.

He says Northland growers have been extremely vigilant in managing their borders since the initial outbreak of Psa-V in Te puke last year.

But a year on the Psa-V bactieria continues to attack kiwifruit vines in the Bay of Plenty at the rate of about 20 a day, devastating an industry that last year was worth about $1.5 billion in annual returns.

More than 700 orchards, or more than a fifth of the country’s orchards, are now infected.