EASTPACK MEDIA RELEASE 20 April 2011

EastPack, the second biggest kiwifruit post harvest operator in New Zealand and the leading supplier of Gold kiwifruit, is working closely with its growers and industry bodies to reduce the impact of Psa disease.

More than 200 growers have attended special EastPack grower technical sessions and Psa breakfast meetings, in a bid to gain a greater understanding of Psa and what they can do to reduce the risk and potential impact.

The EastPack Client Services and Technical teams are working closely with EastPack growers, offering support and advice. This includes regular monitoring and mapping of orchards, on-orchard technical sessions and the development of a new Psa spray decisionmaking tool to help growers make informed decisions with post harvest spraying and overall compliance requirements.

EastPack Technical Manager Tim Torr says his team are continually walking at risk orchards and mapping them for Psa symptoms.

“This gives us a picture of where the hotspots are and enables our people, in conjunction with best practice technical advice from Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH), to advise our growers about their on-orchard management planning, post-harvest spraying and in a worst case scenario, cutting out strategies.”

EastPack Chairman Ray Sharp says the Psa outbreak in 2010 sent the billion-dollar kiwifruit industry into shock and is a potential threat to industry growth.

“All growers face the uncertainty brought by this devastating disease. We know that bacon and eggs and good strong coffee at our EastPack grower breakfasts aren’t going to make Psa simply disappear, however we want to ensure our growers are well informed about Psa,that they know what symptoms to look for and that they are confident in their decisionmaking moving forward,” Mr Sharp said.

Six EastPack growers in the priority zone have had to cut out approximately 20 hectares of Green and Gold vines between them as a result of Psa. EastPack, which is 100 percent grower owned, is the largest supplier of Gold kiwifruit and represents nearly 30 percent of ZESPRI Gold exports.

“It’s devastating for those growers, it’s their livelihoods that they’ve literally had ripped out,and we are working closely with them to ensure a sustainable future.

Despite the Psa outbreak, EastPack expects to pack a record 19 million Class 1 trays this season and recently reported a $10.5 million profit before tax and rebates for the 2010 financial year - up 22 percent from the previous year.

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