Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:45): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development regarding tomato brown rugose fruit virus.

Leave granted.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: Tomato brown rugose fruit virus is extremely contagious. Every major tomato-growing nation has deemed that the virus is not technically feasible to eradicate, and has transitioned to a management approach. This involves using rugose-resistant varieties of tomatoes and strict hygiene measures.

Our industry in South Australia, indeed in this country, is reliant on using imported seed. Testing at the border is a destructive process, so it is impossible to test every single seed coming into the country. In addition to this, the previous level of viral detection for seed has had a less stringent threshold compared to the level determined as a positive result for growers here in South Australia.

The result is that seed which tests negative and is allowed into the country may end up producing seedlings that test positive. The resulting quarantine has been economically devastating to affected companies. This is important to tomato producers who are currently not protected by owner reimbursement costs. My questions to the minister are:

1. Is the minister concerned about the very real and continued risk of virus entering the country through seed from countries in which tomato brown rugose virus is endemic?

2. Does the minister concede that there is growing concern within the horticultural industry that the treatment—namely, the current eradication and containment approach—may, in fact, be more damaging than the disease itself, especially when international best practice has shifted towards management rather than eradication?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:47): I thank the honourable member for her question, which I think speaks to a number of items. The first is that there is various evidence from around the world in regard to the tomato brown rugose virus. Obviously, that then needs to be applied within the context of Australia, an island.

In terms of the testing regime, which is a federal government responsibility, I did contact my federal counterpart last year or earlier this year—I cannot recall the exact date—emphasising the need for robust testing. That is obviously important to all our growers, not just here in South Australia but across the country as well.

Another thing that is incredibly important to emphasise is that while there is a national approach of eradication, while it has been deemed possible to eradicate, South Australia needed to look at how we could maintain as much market access for as many of our growers as possible. Early in the detection of the disease there was a very real risk that every state would close their borders to South Australian tomatoes; every state could potentially have closed their borders to South Australian tomatoes, to all South Australian tomatoes, and not just those on the infected or even trace properties. It was important that we were able to protect the majority of growers. We were able to do that first of all by adhering to the national response plan and, secondly, by continuing to advocate for the ways that that plan should be implemented or amended as necessary.

Members may recall that the disease is considered to potentially cause up to 70 per cent reduction in yield, which potentially has a huge economic impact on our growers. But with all of this, we need to be led by those who actually have the scientific qualifications, expertise and knowledge to be able to provide the recommendations that can then be acted upon.

My understanding is that in South Australia—this is the information I have been provided, and obviously I can't verify its accuracy—we don't have the virus-resistant varieties. They haven't been grown, either not at all or certainly not on a large scale in South Australia, or indeed in Australia. If that has changed in the last six months, perhaps I will be able to bring back an update on that.

We need to be looking at not a reactive response; we need to be looking at what is informed by the science and the best information that is available. Any decision to move to management of the virus as opposed to eradication is made in conjunction with all the other states and territories and the commonwealth, and it is based on the technical advice that is provided by the CCEPP.