Roadmap set to double hort exports by 2035
It's critical that the horticulture sector works together as part of a goal to double the sector’s exports by 2035.
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says that discovery of a male Oriental fruit fly on Auckland’s North Shore is a cause for concern for growers.
The fruit fly was detected in a suburban backyard in Birkdale during routine surveillance.
The discovery follows an end to increased surveillance in Papatoetoe after an Oriental fruit fly was found in the suburb in early January.
Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner north, Mike Inglis says it’s too early to tell whether the two finds are linked.
“Our lab will do further DNA analysis of the fly over the coming days,” Inglis says.
He says trapping and inspection in the area will be increased.
“The capture of a single male does not mean we have an outbreak,” Inglis says. “However, while we do our checks for any other fruit flies, we need community help to prevent any possible spread.”
“As a precautionary measure, we’ll be putting legal restrictions in place on the movement of fruit and vegetables out of the area where the fruit fly was found,” he adds.
Meanwhile, HortNZ chief executive Kate Scott says her organisation fully supports the increased trapping, inspection efforts, and the legal restrictions on the area.
“Protecting New Zealand’s horticulture sector from biosecurity threats like the fruit fly is critical to our economy and our reputation for producing high-quality fruit and vegetables,” says Scott.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.