The impact of the vine disease PSA on the kiwifruit industry has started to bite, with the country’s largest grower and packer looking to lay off staff.

The Bay of Plenty listed company Seeka has called for redundancy applications among its 250 full time staff, fearing a reduced volume in product next season.

Seeka CEO Michael Franks says the most virulent strain of the bacteria, the Italian isolate PSA V has been confirmed on nearly 9 percent of New Zealand vines, and will definitely impact on the season’s yields.

Michael Franks says he’s confident the industry will recover from the problem, but the industry will certainly have to develop new systems and make some big changes in the face of PSA.

Redundancy applications to full time staff are open until Thursday, although it’s not known how many will be affected.