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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-04-07 Daily Xml
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WHEAT STEM RUST

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (11:36): I move:

That this house:

(a) notes with concern the spread of wheat stem rust Ug99 internationally, specifically throughout Africa, and the potential it has to reach Australia and decimate our wheat industry;

(b) notes that there is no known treatment at this time and therefore supports increased research and development along with other states to ensure Australia is ready if this ruinous disease arrives in Australia; and

(c) supports an upgrade of Australian quarantine efforts to ensure the disease does not enter over our borders.

Ug99 is a deadly wheat fungus, which looks like red rust on wheat, and it has the potential to decimate the world's wheat crops. The wheat rust pathogen enters the stems of the wheat plant and destroys its vascular tissue. This stem rust is highly feared. It causes plants to fall over and can lead to the loss of an entire harvest.

New mutations of the disease are spreading throughout eastern and southern Africa, and researchers say it could arrive in Australia on high winds. These new strains have the ability to defeat two of the most important stem rust resistant genes that we use. This poses a huge risk to wheat crops worldwide, as the two rust resistant genes that this Ug99 strain is able to overcome are widely used in most of the world's wheat breeding programs.

Ug99 was found in Uganda in 1999 (hence the name Ug99), and it is difficult to stop. It has also been found in Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen and Iran. I met a Jordanian scientist, Ziad Naser, during my CPA visit to Tanzania and Kenya in August 2009, and discussed this issue with him at length. Ug99 was present in Uganda and Kenya at that time. I raised the issue in this house in September 2010, and now it has been revealed that the disease has spread further throughout Africa.

Professor Robert Park, the Grains Research and Development Corporation Chair of Cereal Rust Research, University of Sydney, said:

There was one incidence at least, in the late 1960s, where stem rust was transported from southern or central Africa to Australia by high altitude winds.

Many of Australia's current wheat varieties are susceptible to contracting wheat stem rust.

In 1973, Australia had a single epidemic of wheat stem rust in south-eastern Australia and the damage it caused was estimated at $300 million. It was reported in the September-October 2010 issue of Australian Grain that the trajectory and evolution of this new strain are of particular concern to the major wheat growing areas of southern and eastern Africa, Central Asia, India, the Caucasus, South and North America, and Australia.

It is important that policymakers are aware of this issue and are prepared to provide the relevant support that is needed to meet future challenges that Ug99 poses to our wheat industry. Currently, efforts are being made in East Africa to control the rust and reduce its potential to spread. However, it is important that policymakers are aware of the disease and its potential impact upon the Australian wheat sector.

Dr Ravi Singh, a distinguished senior scientist in plant genetics and pathology with the Mexico-based International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, said at an event to discuss global wheat rust last year, 'We will now have to make sure that every new wheat variety we release has an ironclad resistance to both Ug99 and the new races.' The only way to overcome this threat is to increase research and development activities and breeding programs in order to produce new wheat varieties that have defences against Ug99 and its related strains.

I was pleased to learn that, since I gave notice to move this motion in this house, the GRDC has been doing a lot of work on this and I am reliably informed that it has been undertaking extensive testing and we now have a lot of resistant varieties ready if and when this rust strain reaches Australia. This new strain of Ug99 is still on the move and I understand other states are putting a lot of work into ensuring our wheat crops are secure as well.

All this research and development work is a good start, but there is also a need to ensure our borders are as secure as possible to prevent the transmission of this disease across our borders. Although it is spread by wind, there is also a need to maintain vigilance with the movement of farm machinery, etc. Also I urge the wheat and barley breeders, once they have bred these new varieties—and they are apparently—to plant it up. In other words, to aggregate as quickly as possible so that there is enough seed on hand to give our farmers an alternative if Ug99 ever arrives in Australia. I urge the house to support this motion.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:42): I fully support the member for Schubert's very commendable motion which reads:

(a) notes with concern the spread of wheat stem rust Ug99 internationally, specifically throughout Africa, and the potential it has to reach Australia and decimate our wheat industry;

(b) notes that there is no known treatment at this time and therefore supports increased research and development along with other states to ensure Australia is ready if this ruinous disease arrives in Australia; and

(c) supports an upgrade of Australian quarantine efforts to ensure the disease does not enter over our borders.

This is a very serious threat and I must commend our researchers over the years who have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on plant protection for our cropping farmers.

We have had to fight against many pests and weeds, and stem and leaf rust is one of those diseases. Usually crops get affected by rust in a wetter season, and it is usually a pretty good crop as well. It really puts you off when you go out, especially when it is getting later in the day and you look across a paddock with the sun setting over it, and you see that rusty colour. If it has reached that stage, you need to have it sprayed immediately. So, it is a significant cost for farmers if crops are affected. It costs them many tens of millions of dollars in seasons across the nation to spray rust-affected crops. I commend the motion.

It is good to see the support of the Grains Research and Development Corporation getting behind breeding strains and breeding resistance against this threat, because we keep seeing threats from overseas all the time. We have seen it with the WTO's decision on importing apples that could possibly carry fire blight from New Zealand. We understand that New Zealand potato growers are trying to export potatoes to Australia that could be infected with zebra chip, which, I understand, has no known remedy.

We must be vigilant in protecting our home-grown food industries. We also note the import of Chinese apples into this country and the possible threats that we could have there. It is interesting to note that yesterday the Premier mentioned how well the economy is doing, especially on the back of agriculture, but we have seen in the last budget and will see over the next three years $80 million stripped from primary industries and stripped out of vital research and development in this state, which I believe will put this state at risk in keeping out diseases like Ug99 if we do not have the relevant funding in place.

It has put SARDI in a position where it is looking at merging with the Adelaide University because of the lack of funding coming from government. It just goes to show that there is no attention to regional South Australia from the Labor government and no attention to supporting the people who grow the wealth in this state. It angers me when I see the Premier get up—he almost claims credit for the rain this year, which grew a 10 million tonne plus crop and which has got farmers out of trouble generally after probably up to nine fairly poor income years with drought, low prices and a lot of pest invasion.

The government really needs to take threats like Ug99 seriously because what it does is impact on the spending power of our rural producers if this is another threat for which they have to spend money on crop protection in getting their wheat crops through to harvest in a profitable manner.

I would like to think that the government would support this bill. If it does not support this bill, it shows its natural reaction to anything that happens outside Gepps Cross or Glen Osmond. It has no vision at all outside those areas, as we have seen with so many policies coming from this Labor government.

Ms Thompson interjecting:

Mr PEDERICK: It is interesting to note the interjections, but I will reiterate that if this type of rust comes into Australia it will cost the cropping economy not hundreds of millions of dollars but billions of dollars right across the country. We need to keep up the research effort. We need to support research, and the government needs to learn that we cannot keep turning our backs on the people who provide the wealth, not just for the state but also for the nation, instead of taking the accolades just because it has rained. I commend the motion.

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (11:48): I rise to oppose this motion. Before I do talk about the reasons why the government is not supporting the motion, I would just like to place on record my admiration for the member for Schubert. He continually is a champion for the agricultural sector and his electorate. I must say that many of his speeches have really talked about issues to do with food security, which is particularly important; and he has raised a number of issues that, I think, really do make us all think, particularly us city slickers who do not have expertise in this area. There are many on this side who do, of course, and—

Ms Thompson: More than you might think.

The Hon. S.W. KEY: Yes. As the member for Reynell says, there is actually more information and expertise over here than I think the opposition assumes. I should say that, despite my admiration for the member for Hammond, who also is—

The Hon. R.B. Such: What about me?

The Hon. S.W. KEY: I will get to you in a minute, Bob, if you wish. The member for Hammond is a champion for his electorate and the sector. But I would ask him to just reflect on the fact that, although many of us on this side are not country members, it does not mean that we do not have concern for the issues that are raised and understand the politics of how we need to make sure that we look after the whole of the state, not just our own electorates, although, obviously, our responsibility is for our electorates. I just ask him to bear in mind that many of us are very concerned about issues other than in our area.

Stem rust, as we have already heard, is one of the three major rust diseases of wheat, including also leaf rust and stripe (or yellow) rust. A number of stem rust strains are already present in Australia—and we have heard that from both the members for Schubert and Hammond—and they are active, unfortunately, on Australian wheat varieties, dependent on resistance genes present in the wheat variety and the strains of the rust in the environment.

Dr Hugh Wallwork of SARDI has provided updated information on Ug99 strain of stem rust. The Ug99 strain of stem rust is not present in Australia, but there are already stem rust strains present in Australia that are active on current Australian wheat varieties and other strains not related to Ug99 overseas not yet present in Australia of at least equal if not greater concern than Ug99.

This summer's rains have caused self-sown 'volunteer' wheat plants to germinate, and they are actively growing throughout the cereal zone of South Australia and Victoria. Stem rust has already been reported on volunteer wheat in the Victorian Murray Mallee. There is a real threat of new mutations occurring within Australia, and it is very important that greater encouragement is given to adopting minimum disease resistance standards within Australia. This will help to reduce the chances of new mutations occurring in Australia and also reduce the spread of new strains like Ug99 that might be brought into Australia.

Plant breeders are pyramiding novel stem rust genes as a routine part of a breeding program to manage the commercial risk of new disease strains, whether through introduction from overseas, like Ug99, or mutations in the local disease population. Breeders have recognised the need for resistance genes to be present in the stable of wheat breeding material used in the program. Plant breeders are routinely exchanging breeding material for testing in overseas environments for resistance to strains of rust and through the Australian cereal rust control program based at the University of Sydney. All commercial breeders in Australia are part of the program. Dr Stephen Jefferies, CEO of the wheat breeding company Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) Pty Ltd, is expecting results from the latest tests for disease including stem rust in wheat breeding material sent to Kenya in the next few weeks.

The GRDC has funded research by Dr Ian Dundas of the University of Adelaide to identify novel disease resistant genes including stem rust genes from wild wheat varieties and to provide them to the wheat breeders. Stem rust is mostly spread by wind-borne spores but may also spread by sticking to clothes and shoes. Increased vigilance on the national border, while useful, would not necessarily prevent Ug99 from getting into the country.

As I said at the start, I do compliment the members opposite for raising this issue and being fierce advocates for the industries, particularly the agriculture and farming industries, but in this particular case the government feels that the action it is taking is appropriate.

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (11:54): I support this motion and I commend the member for Schubert for introducing it. For the life of me, I cannot see why the government would want to oppose it. I cannot see anything in here that is inappropriate or unnecessary. The member for Ashford was very kind about members opposite and their farming abilities. I point out that I left school at 14 and I was a—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.B. SUCH: I'm upset now. I'll have to go home early today; I am upset.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Pengilly): You have the full protection of the chair, member for Fisher.

The Hon. R.B. SUCH: As a 14 year old I was a farm worker at Alford over near Kadina and, unlike the current minister for agriculture, who is the world's greatest farmer, I was almost the world's greatest farmer until a red-back spider took me out. The farmer's wife did more damage with a razor blade in trying to half sever my finger. So, when people look at my hand, I am not making a rude sign, it is just that the farmer's wife at Alford got a bit carried away with the razor blade. This motion, particularly paragraph (c)—

Members interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. R.B. SUCH: I do not believe we take quarantine measures seriously enough in Australia. I still think a lot of it is Mickey Mouse, and that includes the roadblocks. That is no reflection on the people at the roadblocks. I have spoken to them and I commend them for what they do. You only have to look at the consequences of what has come into this country, and not just rabbits and foxes, but things like branched broomrape, which I understand came from Israel.

I met the guys who are working on that program at the Karoonda Farm Fair last week; there are up to 50 people working on that program. The cost to the community is enormous from trying to deal with branched broomrape, and the chance of actually knocking it out is fairly remote. What you have, once you get some of these things in, and if you can treat them, is the cost and the unwelcome addition of additional pesticides and fungicides. It also highlights the importance of genetic engineering. People criticise it for various reasons, but the only way you are ever going to be able to deal with some of the pest plants and animals is through genetic engineering.

That links in to the point that concerns me, both at the state and federal level: the continual cutbacks in agricultural research. If we want to lead the world and be efficient and effective producers, even more so than we are now, then we have to invest in agriculture and horticulture research. It is madness not to be doing that. Yet, what we have seen over time are continual cutbacks to those research programs and facilities.

As I say, I highlight paragraph (c) of this motion: upgrading quarantine. Instead of people getting a little fine, I would put some of these characters behind bars because the threat to the community, and the impact, is far more serious than a lot of other things for which people are incarcerated. I support this motion and I am surprised that the government would want to oppose it.

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (11:57): I want to thank all members for speaking to this debate, particularly the members for Hammond, Fisher and Ashford. I appreciate it. It is obvious that the government is not supporting this, which is quite a pity. I wonder why it would be contentious enough not to agree with it.

I have a particular interest in this, particularly after meeting the Jordanian scientists in 2009. I have a strong memory of when I was fully engaged in farming (some years ago) and we were all growing a variety of wheat called Halberd. The member for Hammond would know about that, and so would you, sir. Halberd was the universal wheat across this state. It was an extremely successful South Australian-bred variety, but it was too popular and far too much was being grown right across the state. We know what happens if you have all of your eggs in one basket, so to speak.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr VENNING: Yes, it did happen. We grew a magnificent crop this particular year. It looked fantastic all year, but four to five weeks before harvest we noticed these blotches coming on the flag of the wheat—the deadly sign of rust. We reaped the crop. We took a penalty of a 50 to 60 per cent loss of yield and we were totally covered with this unpleasant, choking, red dust. It was over everything. Those were the days before cabins and you could not avoid it. So, it has left an indelible mark on me, of what a destructive thing this is, and there is nothing we could have done about it.

I am sad that the government will not support this. I wonder about the wisdom of that. Again, I thank the members who spoke. Since intimating that I will move this motion I am very pleased with the correspondence that I have had, particularly from Mr Don Plowman from PIRSA. I appreciate that Don, over many years, has given me, personally, very good advice, and he has contacted me. So, in that instance this whole exercise has been worthwhile. Also, regarding the comments from the member for Ashford—yes, there is work being done but as I always say (and believe very strongly) we could and should do more. I commend the motion to the house.

Motion negatived.

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