I agree with T Kapai when he talks about the use of agri-chemical sprays on kiwifruit orchards. It has been a time-bomb waiting to explode.
Nature in all her wisdom never produces maximum fruit crops each year. Natural kiwifruit bud burst occurs in numbers that maintains the health and vigour of the vines enabling them to crop productively and sustainably from season to season.
Man in all his arrogance decides he can improve on nature by using agri-chemicals, which are, in a word, poisons.
He poisons the kiwifruit vines and their environment with Hicane, a chemical that enables greedy humans to force fruit production to unnatural, unsustainable levels.
The inevitable result is two-fold. Not only do the stressed vines become diseased but the polluted soil with its decreased nutrient value, worm count and beneficial soil organisms fails to provide adequate, ongoing plant sustenance.
So we now have an outbreak of cancer-like PSA, brought about by exploitation of nature for financial gain.
A case of 'You reap what you sow!”
The toxic destruction of the kiwifruit vines is an unnecessary tragedy that with correct agricultural practices could have been avoided but an even worse scenario is the insidious poisoning of the people of The Bay especially the children. Like our kiwifruit we too have become very susceptible to disease. Shamefully our cancer rates are the highest in NZ.
A coincidence? I think not!

Joan Duncan, Papamoa.