Growers in the southeast of South Australia are reportedly considering introducing kiwifruit crops to the region, the ABC reports.
The Mount Gambier region is thought by some industry experts to have a similar climate to the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand, where kiwifruit is commonly cultivated and thrives.
Agronomist Kevin Ravenhill believes New Zealand’s current struggles with diseases like Psa offers up a significant market opportunity for prospective Australian growers.
However, Ravenhill tempered his comments by stating that he felt this would only supply the domestic market at first.
“If it grows, then they can look elsewhere,” he added.
'But the problem that is happening in New Zealand now is that they got a bacterial disease called PSA.
'It has reduced the production, and so this could be quite a good window for anyone that's interested in growing.
'One of the guys has looked at the marketing side, just for the local market, and it's looking pretty promising at the moment.'
