New Zealand potato industry seeking help to survive disease
< 1 minute read
The potato industry says the fallout from a devastating crop disease means it won’t be long before some growers quit the industry.
The organisation Potatoes New Zealand is seeking more government funding to tackle the tomato-potato psyllid that spreads a disease which causes leaf yellowing, kills plants and disfigures potato tubers.
A report commissioned by Potatoes New Zealand calculates the insect pest has cost the industry more than $120 million in crop losses and control measures since it was first found in New Zealand in 2006. Radio New Zealand