The Independent Kiwifruit Growers Association says plans to spray kiwifruit with antibiotics in a bid to control Psa will cause more harm to the industry than the disease itself.

A walk-out by growers at a recent meeting over the spray-plan put forward by Zespri and Kiwifruit Vine Health showed the strength of opposition to the plan, says IKGA spokesman, Chris Dunn.

'The EU has banned any fruit which contains residues of antibiotics and even in Italy where Psa has devastated the kiwifruit industry; the use of this antibiotic spray is absolutely forbidden,” says Chris.

Advice from Italian kiwifruit growers, who have more experience battling Psa, is that spraying with streptomycin will not solve the problem.

Spraying may induce resistance in the Psa bacteria in New Zealand and could also cause human health problems.

'Aside from that, kiwifruit growers understand the importance of New Zealand's reputation as a safe food producer and any use of streptomycin either through a spray or by putting it directly into the vines would be disastrous for our international image,” says Chris.

'We are really concerned that at a time when kiwifruit growers are struggling under the weight of the Psa outbreak, in a small close-knit growing community like Te Puke, undue emotional pressure is being brought to bear on growers in a bid to force them to allow this spraying to go ahead.”

About a dozen growers walked out of the Katikati meeting held about a week ago, says Chris, who notes beekeepers also walked out.

Beekeepers refusing to put hives in orchards for pollination will be a real concern for growers, says Chris.

He says a hold has been put on the antibiotics plan while details are sorted.

'We need to take the right decisions to now manage PSA, not rush or be pushed into decisions that could have very serious and lasting financial and reputational impacts for our industry,” says Chris.

'Is this a good view of New Zealand rural practices to our world cup visitors when we are saying ‘New Zealand is clean and green'?”

New Zealand regulatory authorities gave approval to kiwifruit growers for the limited application of antibiotic spray earlier this month, reports Kiwifruit Vine Health, the organisation charged with dealing with the Psa infections.

In a release posted on the KVH website on Monday, KVH reports the protocols for the use of the antibiotic KeyStrepto on orchards within the Psa priority zone and surrounding Psa high risk zone in the Bay of Plenty should be completed by Friday.

KVH says KeyStrepto is an antibiotic shown to be effective against Psa, and has been used in horticultural industries in New Zealand and globally for a number of decades.

Previously, the New Zealand kiwifruit industry has had a ‘no-antibiotic use' policy.

This has changed. The significant damage caused by Psa to orchards and grower livelihoods, as well as R&D test results showing the effectiveness of KeyStrepto as a spray option, has forced a rethink.

Zespri will have a zero-residue requirement for KeyStrepto, and any fruit found to have residues will not be accepted for export.

Until the protocols are finalised and agreed, KVH has put ‘a hold' on the purchase of use of KeyStrepto by kiwifruit growers.

This means growers do not have permission to use the product and retailers cannot sell the product for use on kiwifruit orchards.

KVH chairman John Burke could not be contacted this morning.