Kiwifruit Vine Health has welcomed a decision by growers to support its call for a ban on the practice of notch grafting new kiwifruit varieties onto Hort 16A vines.
The gold variety of kiwifruit known as 16A, is highly susceptible to the PSA disease and is responsible for high levels of inoculum being spread from orchard to orchard.
KVH chief executive Barry O'Neil says 90% of growers who responded to a KVH poll, voted in favour of a ban on notch grafting.
He says that's a great result, especially when many growers are under significant financial hardship and want to get their orchards back into production as soon as possible.
Mr O'Neil says it's also important to consider what impact high levels of inoculum will have on other orchardists in the area.
He says the agency will now request that Zespri supports the ban and makes it a condition of new licences it issues to Te Puke growers.
