The kiwifruit disease Psa-V has been found on another Katikati orchard bringing the total in the area to 242, Kiwifruit Vine Health reports.

In all 2050 orchards, or 69 per cent of the land growing kiwifruit in New Zealand, now have plants with the disease. Te Puke remains the hardest hit region with 1058 infected orchards.

Another orchard in Katikati has been infected by Psa.

Reports of new infections have slowed with the hot summer weather but KVH expects that the change in autumn when wet cooler conditions favour the bacteria.

Despite the fact the disease has been found in all growing regions (with the exception of Northwest Auckland, Whangarei, Wangnui/Horowhenua and the South Island), KVH is hopeful infection rates can be kept to a minimum, avoiding a repeat of what happened in Te Puke.

Kiwifruit Vine Health CEO Barry O'Neill says investigations show it is unlikely wind carried the disease to areas such as the Waikato and Hawke's Bay and the fact that contaminated equipment, tools, and plant material may have been the vectors gives hope that infections can be contained.

'Growers need to remain vigilant. The high risks are plant materials such as bud wood and root stock and the movement of orchard equipment. Growers should continue to carry out good orchard hygiene as a matter of course, in part because Psa-V is not the only bio-security risk we face on our orchards.”