Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:33): Why won't PIRSA allow the company Perfection Fresh and other impacted growers to see the actual lab results of the alleged positive results instead of their interpretation of them, and why has at least one grower I am aware of been forced to wait four weeks for results from their crop?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:33): I think we may have alluded, if not in this place certainly in media, to some of the unfortunate timeframes involved in getting some of the results back. There are a couple of reasons for that. Samples have been sent to New South Wales and to Victoria that have the appropriate testing facilities. Because this is a disease that hasn't been in Australia before there is still a lot to be learnt about the disease.

However, one thing that is clear when samples are being tested, or batches are being tested, is the absolute importance of sanitisation and disinfection between those samples. That means that the entire process is very time consuming. It is very unfortunate. Obviously, everyone concerned is keen that results are back as soon as possible, that analysis is done on those results and that businesses are notified so that they have as much certainty, for a disease that we haven't had here before, as they possibly can.