FRUIT Fly Murray Valley has conceded there was no guarantee of ongoing government funding but said growers shouldn’t pick up the bill.
The Fruit Fly Murray Valley Advisory Group, made up of industry and local government representatives, has been looking at the future of Queensland fruit fly management in the region.
“Growers and industry are meeting their on-farm fruit fly management responsibilities and should not be responsible for funding continued work off-farm and paying for the community at large,” FFMV stated in a document that recoded its position on fruit fly management beyond 2025.
“A funding mechanism co-ordinated at a state or national level is needed for a coordinated community-based program.
“Without government support, community-based programs to address off-farm fruit fly risk creators will end.”
The group said since the first outbreaks of the pest in 2011, commercial horticultural growers had made a significant shift in increasing their knowledge and skills to manage fruit fly on their properties.
“However, fruit fly pressure from off-farm sources (such as fruit trees in backyard gardens) continues to provide a risk to high value commercial horticultural production in the region,” the advisory group said.
“Commercial horticultural growers have adapted their programs to meet trade requirements and produce fruit in the current environment. However, the cost of managing Queensland fruit fly (increased control and crop loss) remains strongly influenced by pressure from off-farm populations.
“Growers add value to the region through horticultural production and jobs. They are doing their part and should not be responsible for management in the wider community.”
The group said residential communities and some farming communities with lower susceptibility to fruit fly pressures may contribute to the pest risk in the region.
“High pressure seasons such as those experienced between 2020-23 associated with the La Niña weather events have demonstrated the continued need for off-site risk reduction,” the group said.
“It is outside growers’ capacity to coordinate off-farm risks and there is insufficient evidence that there would be a return on investment for commercial horticulture growers/industry to reduce pressure off-farm.
“Behavioural change within the community needs to be driven at a strategic level by the government to enable a coordinated and targeted approach to off-farm risk management.
“Achieving behavioural change across a community as wide and diverse as the Murray Valley can take a considerable amount of time and effort.
“Past programs have achieved significant change within the region, with the removal of unwanted fruit trees and training programs for people willing to put the time and effort into producing clean fruit.”
The group said in years of high pest pressure, it is likely that crop loss will occur and the cost to manage will be significant.
“There isn’t a quantitative measure of area wide management impact, and the region hasn’t experienced high pest pressure without an off-farm area wide management program,” it said.
