Financial assistance for around 100 kiwifruit growers worst affected by Psa is one step closer with the Government announcement of new support measures.

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated chief executive Mike Chapman says the industry group is 'thrilled” to have reached the step of working with the Ministry of Primary Industries to establish the details of what is available to growers.

'We have been working towards gaining assistance for those growers worst affected by Psa since September last year.

'These are the growers who need help to put food on their tables and who are facing at least another two tough years before their orchards return to production.”

Primary Industries Minister David Carter has announced that farmers and growers impacted by a biosecurity incursion may be eligible for recovery assistance under a new Biosecurity Recovery Framework.

The new framework will sit alongside existing support measures provided to farmers and growers affected by significant climatic events, such as droughts and floods.

Mike hopes the assistance will help growers continue orcharding, so their skills and knowledge can be retained in the industry. The worst affected growers are mainly in the Te Puke area.

'The Government recognises that biosecurity incursions can have economic, environmental and social impacts that can hit production businesses hard and take time to recover from,” said Mr Carter.

'This is why we have announced a new Primary Sector Recovery Policy which will incorporate a biosecurity support framework as well as the existing Adverse Events Recovery Framework.

'The range of relief measures offered when a drought is declared or a significant storm event strikes are well understood and trusted by rural groups. There is a well-tested framework in place, and the same approach would now apply to a biosecurity incursion,” Mr Carter said.

'The new framework will make recovery measures available to people seriously impacted by a disease or pest incursion. It will include most of the measures available under the existing adverse events framework.

'Three categories of incursion would apply – localised, medium-scale and large-scale – and to be eligible for assistance, those affected would need to show they have taken all reasonable steps to mitigate and manage biosecurity risks,” Mr Carter said.

The Primary Sector Recovery Policy covers production businesses within the agriculture, horticulture, forestry and aquaculture sectors