Potentially illegal actions from some stricken kiwifruit growers in the Bay of Plenty are worrying Zespri.

The export marketing giant has reported about 13 hectares of a new, potentially Psa resistant  variety of kiwifruit have been grafted onto existing infected orchards.

Spokesperson Dave Courtney says Zespri has been developing the G3 variety of gold kiwifruit for its resistance to Psa.

“What we’re seeing is G3 in the gold is showing promising signs for resistance towards Psa V at the moment.

“That doesn’t mean it doesn’t get it, just that it seems to take longer to take hold, and it shows more tolerance towards it when it does get it.”’

Dave Courtney says Zespri is planning to continue monitoring the variety and is urging growers not to take matters into their own hands.

“We’re just watching – there’s certainly a lot of talk about it.

“The board will discuss it next month, and if we decide to go with it, that will spark off an industry wide consultation process.

“We’ll put proposals in front of people, and based on the feedback, we’ll firm things up from there.”

Zespri CEO Lain Jager has urged patience in a letter to growers sent out this week.

And, staying with the kiwifruit industry, the sector’s grower organisation has unveiled a plan to keep disease-hit orchardists in the workforce.

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc has reacted to the spread of Psa by appointing orchardist Marty Robinson to the role of employment co-ordinator in the Bay of Plenty.

CEO Mike Chapman says the decision was made to assist those struggling for work as a result of the disease and prevent the loss of years of knowledge and skills from the region.

“The industry will come back, and it will need to come back with skilled people.

“His job is to try and hold the skilled people here, and if he finds people that might need some extra training, or something like that, he’ll arrange the training, so they will be even more valuable to the industry.”