20 Mar 2012

Kiwifruit orchards tested to ensure no residue

2:02 pm on 20 March 2012

Kiwifruit marketer Zespri is testing every orchard to ensure fruit on vines which growers treated to reduce the risk of the bacterial disease PSA are free of any residues.

In September last year Kiwifruit Vine Health, which has the responsibility of overseeing a management plan to control the disease, gave Bay of Plenty growers permission to spray the antiobiotic streptomycin on vines.

Each grower had to abide by a strict set of protocols which included using the bacteriocide up to three times, but only before the kiwifruit vines flowered.

Zespri supply chain general manager Sally Gardiner says residue testing is a core part of the co-operative's market assurance programme.