New Zealand's Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH) has found 19 more plots of land with Psa disease over the past week, taking the total coverage to 8.4% of orchards.

The percentage of Psa-V infected orchards is 5.1%, but the total hectares with the strain represent 8.1% of New Zealand's kiwifruit-growing land. KVH said 13% of total kiwifruit-growing land has some form of Psa.

In a bulletin, KVH said 17 of the new KPIN zones were in the Te Puke region while and two were in the Tauranga region.

"35% of KPINs are now in the priority zones, which have been extended and 36% are in the High Risk Areas," the bulletin said.

The fact the disease was found outside previous priority zones this week has led to an expansion of the focus area, with a new Tauranga Priority Zone established, including Papamoa, Matapihi and a part of Welcome Bay.

KVH said the High Risk Areas now include the whole region of Whakatane/Edgecome and Katikati, as well as the KPINs in Tauranga that are outside the Tauranga Priority Zone.

"Many orchards throughout the Priority Zone are showing Exudate on Gold as the sap starts to flow. Most of these orchards had no symptoms two weeks ago. A Haywood (sic) female has also tested positive showing exudate and dieback. Increased vigilance is necessary during the coming weeks," the bulletin said.

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