Big task confronts Kiwi crusader

The biggest price, resulting from Psa, is the impact on the growers. I'm genuinely concerned for them because their livelihoods are in danger.Peter McBride, Kiwifruit Vine Health chairman
Vigilance, aggression seen as keys in battle against Psa
DURING the past three decades, Peter McBride and his family have established considerable kiwifruit holdings and taken pride in the blossoming industry that now turns over $1.5 billion in sales.
Mr McBride has been at the forefront of ensuring New Zealand produces quality kiwifruit for a premium price and leads the international competition.
A director of Zespri Group for eight years, he has been chairman of the Innovation Board and the Industry Advisory Council (IAC).
He is deputy chairman of the global kiwifruit marketer and has been handed his biggest challenge - to chair the new independent organisation, Kiwifruit Vine Health Incorporated (KVH), charged with containing, even eradicating, the Psa disease.
"It's just the challenge of it and the responsibility ... there are so many unknowns," Mr McBride said.
A month after Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidia (Psa) was first detected in three orchards south of Te Puke and another 100 have produced symptoms, the spread of the bacteria disease that attacks the vines, and not the fruit, has slowed - helped by the warmer weather.
Psa thrives in wet, cold conditions and won't spread in temperatures of more than 20C, day or night.
Last week, Restricted Place Notices, issued by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to affected orchards, were being withdrawn - those growers were provided with a General Permissions document outlining the best orchard management practices.
"We are breathing through our noses and just waiting, observing and being ready," said Mr McBride. "We need an organisation that has the resources to react if the situation changes suddenly."
KVH, a not-for-profit incorporated society, will develop an aggressive long-term management and monitoring plan for Psa in New Zealand.
"Our key advice to growers is to be vigilant - tag and monitor any symptoms, take photos and keep them as a record," said Mr McBride. "They also need to establish strict hygiene systems and apply copper-oil sprays in the autumn to reduce the risk of Psa appearing."
KVH will look at introducing a biological material, or antagonist, to increase immunity to Psa, particularly during the critical flowering stage next year.
"Copper will kill the bacteria that's sitting around but you don't get all of it, and we need to be more aggressive against the Psa. Once the disease enters the vascular system of the plants, there's nothing you can do. You have to cut and burn the vines - they are removed within 20 metres of the last affected vine."
A total of 10ha was stripped from the three orchards near Te Puke - the kiwifruit plants have been cut back to the original grafts and leaders, and will take up to two years to start producing again.
Mr McBride said in other orchards only one or two vines had been cut as a precautionary measure taken by the growers.
"What we saw in the Te Puke orchards was aggressive but, elsewhere, it's been relatively benign," he said. "Does this mean there is more than one type of Psa because the reaction has been different? I'm just pleased the bacteria hasn't been promulgating itself elsewhere and I hope we have contained it."
Outside the three most affected orchards, in most others the infection has only reached the leaf-spotting stage and the plants continue growing fruit.
"As soon as the green stem starts going black and collapses, you are in trouble - you know the Psa is in the vascular system. I've got my fingers crossed," Mr McBride said.
He is confident the industry will produce another quality crop next season - and the gold numbers will increase as planned, from 22 million trays to 24-26 million trays.
"Our crop vines are looking good and it's business as usual while managing the Psa situation. There are no trade issues because the Psa affects the vines, not the fruit."
KVH has been established with seven directors - Mr McBride, Zespri general manager of global supply Simon Limmer, NZ Kiwifruit Growers Inc (NZKGI), chief executive Mike Chapman, NZKGI forum member Paul Jones, Seeka Kiwifruit Industries chief executive Michael Franks, Punchbowl Group managing director Rob Craig, and MAF Biosecurity NZ response manager David Hayes.
They are scouting around for a general manager who has strong knowledge of the kiwifruit industry - Natalie Milne, from Zespri's human-resources department, is standing in during the transition period.
Mr McBride said the new general manager would initially work full-time but then seasonally during critical periods of the production cycle, particularly in autumn and spring when symptoms appeared.
"We are not creating a new monolith," he said.
"There's so many unknowns, it's even hard to do a budget. We will keep costs down by utilising contractors and consultants, and be efficient as we can."
KVH will finalise the $50 million funding contract with the Government and Zespri, and administer growers' compensation claims. The money will be drawn down as required and Zespri is matching the Government's pledge of $25 million.
Zespri will free up money from its gold defence fund and gold promotion reserve; reducing its three-year loyalty rebate, starting in 2011, from 25c a tray to a minimum of 10c; and create a Psa defence fund by introducing a 3 per commodity levy on the gold and green kiwifruit pools that have been materially affected by the problem.
Mr McBride said growers would be compensated on the basis of $52,000 per hectare of gold vines removed from their orchards and $30,000 per hectare for green. Compensation would be made over one or two years, depending on how long it took to resume production.
He said the figures covered production costs and 50 per cent of the net profit based on orchard gate returns, but didn't compensate for loss of income.
"The biggest price, resulting from Psa, is the impact on the growers.
"I'm genuinely concerned for them because their livelihoods are in danger and that puts it in perspective," Mr McBride said.
He's seen the "devastation" on the three orchards near Te Puke and also has had first-hand experience.
He is the technical adviser for 44ha of kiwifruit at Paengaroa and one 3ha block has tested positive.
"It's just a few spots on the leaves and canes of 12 plants and we are watching them. They are in a low dip of the orchard where it's quite wet."
Mr McBride has his own 10ha gold orchard at Paengaroa and another 10ha of gold and 15ha of green at Te Teko. They have tested negative for Psa.
"It's been a pretty stressful few weeks, I can tell you," said Mr McBride.
And in his new role with KVH, he and his team will do everything they can to get on top of Psa and make sure it doesn't cause undue financial hardship in the region's biggest industry.