28 per cent of NZ orchards Psa infected | Rural

The number of Psa-V infected kiwifruit orchards has risen to 933, representing 28 per cent of the country's orchards, Kiwifruit Vine Health has reported.

Six new Psa-V positive results were recorded in the past week. Of the 933 orchards with infected vines, 776 are in the Te Puke region, 59 in Tauranga, 46 in Whakatane, 28 in Opotiki, 10 in Katikati, 11 in Waihi and 3 Franklin.

Fifty-one per cent of the hectares planted in gold fruit and 33 per cent in green are Psa-V affected but not all vines in those orchards have the disease. A Te Kaha orchard which earlier returned a positive test has now been confirmed to have the disease and the Opotiki Priority Zone has been extended to include the Te Kaha area.

For more information see the Kiwifruit Vine Health website at www.kvh.org.nz/statistics.