30 Oct 2011

First suspected case of kiwifruit disease in Northland

10:12 pm on 30 October 2011

The first suspected case of the Psa kiwifruit vine disease has appeared in Northland.

Up until now the region had been free of the bacterial disease that has laid waste to hundreds of orchards in Bay of Plenty.

But a suspected case has turned up in a commercial kiwfruit orchard in Kerikeri.

Northland Fruit Growers president Rick Curtis says the suspicious sample was found during a routine monitoring check.

He says the damage did not look like classic Psa but one lab has now confirmed the disease. The sample has been sent to a second lab to make sure it's not a false positive.

The results will be back by 5pm on Saturday.