Friday, 17 January 2025 14:02

Fruit fly controls to remain in place

Written by  Staff Reporters
Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner north, Mike Inglis. Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner north, Mike Inglis.

According to Biosecurity New Zealand, legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in the South Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe will remain in place until mid-February.

This follows the discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly in the suburb earlier this month.

Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner north Mike Inglis says there has been “fantastic” support from the South Auckland community and sector groups so far.

He says the controls need to continue a little longer “out of an abundance of caution”.

“It is vital to our success in keeping fruit fly out of New Zealand,” he says.

To date, no additional Oriental fruit flies have been found in surveillance traps, something Inglis says is encouraging.

“We’ll continue to regularly check fruit fly traps, and specialist staff in our mobile field laboratory will cut up and inspect fruit and vegetables collected in the area for any signs of larvae. So far more than 200kg of produce has been examined.”

Inglis says that the continuation of the restricted movement is so that authorities can be confident that there isn’t a breeding population.

“This timeframe is based on scientific advice about the life cycle of the Oriental fruit fly,” he says.

There is no change to the current movement rules that are in place. The A and B Zone areas in Papatoetoe will remain the same and the instructions on the disposal of produce waste remain unchanged.

“Those legal controls prohibit the movement of fruit and vegetables out of the specified controlled area around where the fruit fly was found. The restrictions are a critical precaution to protect our horticultural sector and exports,” Inglis says.

“There have been 12 previous fruit fly incursions in New Zealand which we have successfully eradicated, so we have very strong and detailed operational plans to guide our work. 

“The fruit fly poses no risk to human health, but there would be an economic cost to the horticulture industry if it were allowed to establish here,” he concludes.

More like this

Rise in fall armyworm numbers

Populations of fall armyworm are two to three weeks more advanced than they have been in previous seasons, bringing calls for maize and sweetcorn growers to scout their crops as often as possible.

Multiple levies irk farmers

In its submission on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act, DairyNZ says its levy-paying members invested more than $60 million across the biosecurity system last year, through multiple biosecurity levies across several entities and legislative frameworks to collect this funding.

Fruit fly anxiety

Horticulture New Zealand says an outbreak of fruit fly could have significant impacts for the horticulture sector.

Featured

Milk company launches new round of grants

The a2 Milk Company (a2MC) is launching a new round of grants to support projects aimed at enhancing dairy farming sustainability via the a2 Farm Sustainability Fund.

National

Machinery & Products

Loosening soil without fuss

Distributed in New Zealand by Carrfields, Grange Farm Machinery is based in the Holderness region of East Yorkshire – an…

JCB unveils new models

The first of the UK’s agricultural trade shows was recently held at the NEC Centre in Birmingham.

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Times have changed

OPINION: Back in the 1960s and '70s, and even into the '80s, successive National government Agriculture Ministers and Trade Ministers…

Hallelujah moment

OPINION: The new Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche has just had the hallelujah moment of the 21st century in…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter