New Zealand's kiwifruit industry could be hit by up to NZ$120m (US$98m, €75m) in losses this year as a result of the Psa vine disease, according to authorities in the country.
Neil Treblico, president of industry body Kiwifruit Growers Inc (NZKGI), told Radio New Zealand that the group expected a drop of 10m trays through the 2012 campaign, at an estimated cost of NZ$120m.
More than 1,000 orchards in the country have been confirmed as harbouring the disease, with the gold variety particularly susceptible to infection.
NZKGI president Mike Chapman told NZ Newswire that a study by Lincoln University was attempting to calculate the exact cost of the disease on the country's kiwifruit industry, adding that the support networks for growers impacted by Psa had been enhanced.
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