Another ban on tomatoes unlikely

Press, 21 August 1984, Page 1

Another ban on tomatoes unlikely

Caterpillars have again been found in a consignment of tomatoes from Queensland, but another ban on importation of the fruit is unlikely. Two small larvae were found in a consignment of tomatoes which arrived in Christchurch on Sunday evening, said the regional agricultural quarantine officer, Mr C. H. Cooper. They were sent to an entomologist to be identified, and it looked as though they were juvenile' leaf roller caterpillars, he said. Four larvae of the same species were found in a similar consignment of tomatoes which arrived in Auckland on Sunday. Mr Cooper said that the consignment of 400 10kgcartons was fumigated with methal bromide gas, then released to the importers,

Fruit Distributors, Ltd, for general distribution. The importer had had the option to either return, destroy, or fumigate the tomatoes, said Mr Cooper. The same treatment was given to the tomatoes in Auckland, said the assistant regional ?■: agricultural quarantine officer there, Mr N. H. Hyde. The leaf roller caterpillar was a pest which burrowed into the fruit in its larval form, he said. The caterpillar was found in the last consignment of tomatoes from Queensland in late June, one week after importation of the fruit to New Zealand began. Because of concerns about the possibility of another pest, the fruit fly, getting through quarantine controls, the Ministry of Agriculture imposed a ban on further importations until an investigation had been

made. That ban was lifted at the beginning of this month. An Assistant DirectorGeneral of Agriculture, Mr Royce Elliott, said last evening that the insecticide used on the tomatoes before they left Australia was strong enough-to. kill any fruit fly larvae in the fruit. However, other, “more innocuous” pests such as the leaf roller caterpillar might not be killed by it. The department was happy with the insecticide controls used in Australia and had been assured by the Australian Primary Industries Department that the mixing of the dip would be supervised to ensure it was strong enough. An entomologist present at quarantine inspections of the .fruit would decide if any larvae found were economically significant to New Zealand and would act on that decision. Fumigation was an accepted procedure for the leaf roller caterpillar and Mr Elliott said he was satisfied that a ban would not have to be imposed. The imported tomatoes will go on sale in local markets this morning.