The owner of a kiwifruit orchard infected with Psa is fronting up to the public at lunchtime Monday. Latest figures from Zespri reveal the number of infected orchards is rising, with eight kiwifruit crops now confirmed with the disease.

A leaf infected with Psa.

Since the outbreak of Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae was confirmed a week ago, owners of infected orchards have steered clear of media.

One of the eight kiwifruit growers will appear at a media conference on Monday and answer questions.

All of the infected orchards are within the Te Puke area, including Paengaroa.

A total of 28 orchards from the Bay of Plenty area, Gisborne and Kerikeri have shown negative tests for Psa.

Check SunLive for coverage from the media conference with the infected owner after midday.