U.S. kiwifruit problem

Press, 18 April 1979, Page 18

U.S. kiwifruit problem

By

JOHN N. HUTCHISON

New Zealand kiwifruit, kept off the American market through most of the 1978 season because of a pesticide controversy, faces a new barrier this year. The United States Government has not yet defined the permissible minimum of a fungicide, called captan, which might be found as a residue on the fruit. Captan is used to control mould which attacks the fruit on the vines under certain conditions of temperature and humidity. The lack of a decision in Washington from the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency is disquieting to growers and importers (because the first consignments are expected to be ready for shipment in midMay. Although the first fruit would probably be sent by air. numerous sea shipments would follow. Once the

“pipeline” is filled, a San Francisco importer said, a large quantity of the fruit would be at the mercy of the United States authorities, unless it was diverted to markets in other countries. New Zealand’s senior trade commissioner in Washington (Mr D. J. Walker) said in a telephone interview that his office had regular talks with the two American agencies and was seeking an early solution. “We are very conscious of the critical situation, and the anxiety of the growers and shippers,” he said. “The problem is one of assembling the data on which the F.D.A. and E.P.A. can make a finding.” Last year, a ban was imposed on kiwifruit found to have traces of imadan and guthion, used against pests. Months passed before the United States Government established minimum tolerances and released the fruit. ■ A San Francisco importer

said he would like to see the New Zealand Minister of Agriculture raise the matter directly with the American Government. He said he was sure that inspectors would pounce on the first kiwifruit shipments which appeared. The circumstance occurs just as the public relations campaign for New Zealand kiwifruit is about to begin. Ms Sybil Henderson, whose Los Angeles-based firm is employed by the New Zealand kiwifruit growers’ organisation, said that a national campaign was ready for launching in newspapers and magazines and on radio and television, displays would be placed in stores, and telephone and mail would be used to encourage kiwifruit publicity.

She said that two new homemaking texts for use in schools and colleges across the States carried information on kiwifuit and that one had a cover illustration in colour of a kiwifruit and a kiwi.