The Buttercup Squash Council is confident the effort it has put into preventing a wood boring beetle from hitching a ride on New Zealand squash shipments to Japan has been successful.
Chairman Don Turner says a couple of years ago Japanese importers told the Council they were having to fumigate pallets of squash, after finding evidence of the burnt pine long horn beetle.
He says the beetle was coming in with the wood used to make the bins used to pack the squash and the council took steps, at some cost, to tackle the pest.
He says the wood has been inspected for infestation on arrival at packing houses and exterminated where it is found.
Mr Turner says this year the council is working with timber mills to stop the beetle infestations at source.
Japan is the New Zealand squash industry's most important market.
In 2011 it bought more than 80% percent of the 85,000 tonnes exported.
