Carter warns of kiwifruit ban

Biosecurity Minister David Carter (left) and chief executive of Zespri Lain Jager visited diseased-affected areas in the Bay of Plenty yesterday. Photo / Christine Cornege

Biosecurity Minister David Carter says one or more of this country's trading partners could use the kiwifruit disease outbreak as grounds to block New Zealand kiwifruit imports.

Such a situation was a "very real possibility", he said.

Carter, who visited disease-affected areas in the Bay of Plenty yesterday, said no trade restrictions had yet been placed on New Zealand kiwifruit.

Australia and the United States have both banned imports of this country's root stock, but have indicated they did not plan to take the ban any further.

But Carter said he could not "give an assurance that will be the situation of the future".

"Countries can change their position," he said.

Kiwifruit exports contributed $1.4 billion to New Zealand's economy in the year to March, while the industry makes up around 20 per cent of the Bay of Plenty's GDP. Dairy is the biggest agricultural export, worth about $9 billion.

Three farms in the Te Puke area were last night confirmed as having the Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae (Psa) bacterium that caused havoc in Italy's kiwifruit industry after surfacing there in 1992.

Carter said a further two orchards had been placed under quarantine, pending likely positive identification of the bacterium.

MAF was investigating 20 out of 75 orchards that had presented possible symptoms of the disease, he said, and would begin a copper spray programme of infected properties today to try to limit its spread.

A MAF spokesperson said all the orchards being investigated were in the Bay of Plenty.

Carter said it would breach World Trade Organisation rules for a country to use the Psa outbreak as an excuse to block fruit imports for the betterment of its own economy.

"We will be monitoring that situation very, very carefully and of course we will argue very strenuously that there is no scientific evidence of the fruit itself being a means of transmission of Psa."

Allan Dawson, managing director of Katikati-based Aongatete Coolstores, said he would not put it past the Australians to slap an import ban on New Zealand kiwifruit.

"All I'd say is look at what's happened with apples."

Australia has blocked New Zealand apple imports since 1919 when the bacterial disease fire blight was found in fruit that had originated in this country.

In August the World Trade Organisation ruled that Australia was breaching international laws in restricting New Zealand apple imports - a ruling the Australian Government plans to appeal against.

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc president Peter Ombler said Asian and European countries were unlikely to place an import ban on New Zealand kiwifruit because Psa was already present on those continents.

Carol Ward, director of corporate and grower services at kiwifruit exporter Zespri, said there was no scientific evidence to suggest the US and Australian bans on New Zealand nursery stock would be extended to fruit.

Carter said it remained unknown last night how Psa had found its way to New Zealand.

GROWERS HAVE CHANCE OF GETTING COMPENSATION

Kiwifruit growers may receive Government compensation if an eradication programme is implemented to stop the spread of the bacterial disease, says Biosecurity Minister David Carter.

"We will in the near future have to make a decision as to whether we're dealing with a situation where we can successfully eradicate [Psa] ... or whether we can try to contain it in a particular area or province, or whether we're dealing with a situation where [the bacterium] is widespread and therefore we have to learn to manage it," said Carter.

Eradication would involve the removal and destruction of vines, he said, adding that soil could also be sterilised.

"There will be a good argument that the Government must be prepared to [come up with] some compensation."

Carter said he assured growers yesterday that a final decision on how the outbreak was dealt with "won't be in any way ... compromised by the fact the Government may be exposed to compensation".

Soil sterilisation would not mean the land was useless for future kiwifruit crops, he said. If it turned out the Psa outbreak was widespread, eradication would no longer be an option.