Beekeepers in the Bay of Plenty are anxiously watching the kiwifruit industry to see whether it will approve a powerful antibiotic, streptomycin, for use in the battle against PSA-v.

Kiwifruit Vine Health is due to announce the exact details of its spraying programme on September 1 and all eyes are on whether it will include streptomycin – known commercially as KeyStrepto.

Opotiki beekeeper, Barbara Pimm, says the industry’s exports will be undone if KeyStrepto gets into honey.

“Antibiotics in bee products have caused issues in the past for China and for Australia for Argentina; and what happens is that the whole country’s bee products are stopped.”  

She says while kiwifruit may not be flowering at the moment – other plants in their vicinity definitely are.

“The main issue for us is the willow hedgerows and the others things like buttercup that the bees are certainly visiting during gold pollination and getting nectar from and nectar will go into the hive products.”  

Beekeepers have been extremely unhappy with the perceived lack of communication from the kiwifruit industry.

Last week the National Beekeepers Association chief executive, Daniel Paul, told Country 99TV that the kiwifruit sector was leaving beekeepers in the dark as to their plans.  

Scientists say streptomycin has proved to be incredibly successful against PSA-v but some say growers would be better served injecting the drug into their vines as opposed to spraying.