Secrecy over banned orchard

A Hawkes Bay orchard and packhouse has been suspended from exporting apples to Taiwan for the rest of this year, but an industry leader has declined to name them.

The discovery of the codling moth larva in an apple from Hawke's Bay this month "could have happened to anybody", said Pipfruit New Zealand chief executive Peter Beaven.

Biosecurity said it had suspended the orchard from exports to Taiwan for the rest of the year.

Beaven said the industry was dealing with a biological problem: "Codling moth is present in Hawkes Bay and it could have happened to any grower in the industry."

Neither Beaven nor biosecurity officials identified the orchardist or the packhouse.

Beaven said Ministry of Agriculture staff had identified a potential gap in procedures at the packhouse and had already modified processes to cover that hole - even though it was not the reason codling moth reached Taiwan.

- NZPA