This week Tauranga proudly hosted the New Zealand Biosecurity Institute’s annual national education and training seminar (NETS2019), a three-day forum of discussion and debate on how to collectively minimise the risk of biosecurity threats to New Zealand.

The theme “All Hands on Deck” recognised the huge value of joint initiatives such as Tauranga Moana Biosecurity Capital and set the challenge for the development of more joint initiatives throughout the country.

Over 250 delegates attended, with speakers ranging from international and national experts to people working at the coalface. Presentations ranged from pest plants to aquatics, invertebrates and diseases, to technology and collaboration.

At the event, KVH showcased KiwiNet, the kiwifruit industry initiative championing biosecurity readiness and highlighted how surveillance and response capacity has been built via an industry-wide approach. For example, KiwiNet supplied 41 sets of feet on the ground to the 2019 Auckland fruit fly response between mid-February and the end of June.

KVH also hosted a “vine to vessel” field-trip showing best-practice biosecurity incorporated into everyday tours to Kiwifruit Country, sustainability and proactive biosecurity practice at Trevelyan’s pack-house, successful control of wild kiwifruit in the steep Te Puke gullies and finally an up close view of New Zealand’s largest port to see container inspections and detector dogs in action.

We're really proud that the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) awareness campaign has been announced as a finalist in the upcoming Emergency Media and Public Affairs awards.

The awareness campaign is a joint effort between Biosecurity New Zealand and industry groups who make up the BMSB Council under the Government Industry Agreement (GIA) partnership and has the goal of raising awareness amongst growers and the wider public about the importance of keeping this unwanted pest out of the country, how to identify it, and how to report any suspected finds.

The awards will be presented during a ceremony in Wellington on Thursday 1 August.

Of course this all means nothing without your help – be sure to continue to keep an eye out for the unwanted BMSB.

A few weeks ago we let you know that KVH had attended a Plant & Food Research-run presentation by Professor Claudio Ioriatti, a world-renowned expert on BMSB, who shared useful knowledge from the European BMSB control effort.

Plant & Food Research have since released a podcast you can listen to on their website, where Claudio shares his first-hand account of the devastation this pest causes, and his experience in controlling BMSB and other invasive insects that may pose threats to the biosecurity of New Zealand. Click here to listen.

KVH represents New Zealand KiwiBerry Growers within the Government Industry Agreement (GIA) partnership, ensuring the two industries work together on managing and responding to biosecurity risks, and last week key staff from both organisations met to discuss current and future priorities.

Learnings from the current Auckland fruit fly response, new on-orchard biosecurity guidelines, and the importance of traceability and record keeping were major topics discussed at the meeting as many key work areas for KVH over the next 12 months focus on these areas.

The two industries have a commonality of biosecurity issues - kiwiberry are likely to be susceptible to many of the same pests and diseases as other kiwifruit cultivars, so working together in partnership makes sense and by continuing to join forces we can further strengthen our efforts to deliver better biosecurity.

Last week KVH, Zespri, New Zealand Winegrowers and the Auckland Council presented to post-graduate students at the University of Auckland to help inspire students to become our next generation of plant biosecurity scientists.

It’s vital to the future protection of our industry that bright young minds are recruited into this field and the presentation was a great opportunity to showcase potential careers that may be available to students.

The KVH Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held yesterday. Thank you to all those who were able to attend.

All Resolutions were passed at the AGM:

• that the minutes of the 2018 AGM be approved
• that the Chairman and Chief Executive's reports be approved
• that the financial report for the 12 months ending 31 March 2019 be approved
• that the Psa and the Biosecurity Readiness & Response levies continue at the same rates
• that the budget for 2020/21 be approved
• that William Buck be reappointed as auditor for the 2019/20 financial year.
  

Following the recent Grower Director Nominations there was one grower member vacancy for the KVH Board and one candidate standing for election.  Therefore, Dermott Malley has been duly elected to the KVH Board for a three-year term.

If you have any questions about the AGM results please either contact KVH on 0800 665 825, email info@kvh.org.nz or speak to a KVH Director.

All AGM documents, including Resolutions, financial statements and budget information are available to reference on the KVH website.