date:Sep 28, 2018
Biosecurity New Zealand is investigating how potato mop-top virus (PMTV) could have entered the country. The agency was working with Potatoes New Zealand after the crop disease was discovered in potato tubers in Mid Canterbury, Ministry for Primary Industries incident controller David Yard said.
Two properties had tested positive for the disease, which had never before been found in New Zealand. The virus was not a food safety issue but could cause productivity issues if it was found to be wide