A statement by David Carter, New Zealand's Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister, underlines that the kiwifruit disease PSA is not likely to be eliminated in the near future.

The MP announces that the disease could be documented in approximately 100 kiwi fruit plantations all over the country. Fruit growers now worry about the health consequences of the diseased kiwi plants and are alerted to increase the hygienic practices in their orchards to prevent the disease from spreading further. Nevertheless, fruit from the infected plants do not bear any health risks to human beings or animals.

So far there are no nations that rejected the import of kiwi fruits from diseased plants and the booming important season draws to a close in the following week. The bacterial disease does not affect the fruit itself but only its plants. Thus, the import of kiwi plants from New Zealand has been banned from the US and Australia.

In order to keep the disease spread at bay, some of the worst infected plants will be sprayed. Further measure of hygiene such as special shoes and clothes will be taken. The government will further announce exact measures to eradicate the plant condition.

Especially the hundreds of Maori kiwi growers are affected by the bacterial plant disease. New Zealand's kiwi export is a major, billion-heavy industry sector. The New Zealand dollar already underwent a loss of almost 2% this week.