As the vine-killing disease PSA continues to reveal its spread across orchards, stress management workshops are being held to psychologically prepare people in the kiwifruit industry for the future.
Tauranga psychologist Leanne Dunne, who has been involved in the workshops, says the stress of the disease is similar to the anxiety experienced in the Christchurch earthquakes.
The discovery of PSA was unexpected, she says, and it has left people feeling helpless.
Ms Dunne says for many of those affected, the kiwifruit orchard is their home, their workplace and their source of income.
Pastoral support is being extended beyond Te Puke, as it appears PSA-V has spread to an orchard near Waihi, northwest of Tauranga.
Kiwifruit Vine Health is awaiting the results of further tests to confirm that.
