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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-08-28 Daily Xml
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Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:36): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development about fruit virus.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: It was reported that tomato brown rugose fruit virus has been detected for the first time in Australia at two properties in the northern Adelaide Plains. The exotic virus affects tomatoes, capsicums and chillies, and can have production impacts of around 15 per cent. My questions to the minister are:

1. What steps are being taken by the government to minimise the transmission of the virus?

2. What support structures are in place for the producers in the Adelaide Plains impacted by this virus?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:37): I thank the honourable member for her question. The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) is responding to a detection of tomato brown rugose fruit virus at two properties in the northern Adelaide Plains region. The response comes after PIRSA was contacted by a commercial tomato growing facility on the northern Adelaide Plains to report a suspected positive result from a laboratory test.

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus is an exotic plant disease that affects tomatoes, capsicums and chillies, as the member mentioned in her question. The virus is listed on the National Priority Plant Pests list and is a highly contagious virus. It is listed as a regulated pest in South Australia's Ministerial Notice No. 2, Declared Pests and Quarantine Areas, pursuant to section 4 of the Plant Health Act 2009.

Infected plants will show symptoms such as mosaic patterns, yellowing and deformities on leaves, while fruits develop brown wrinkled spots, deformities and uneven ripening, which can reduce their yield and their marketability. The virus can spread easily through mechanical transmission, including contaminated tools, hands, clothing and direct plant-to-plant contact. It can also be seed borne and transmitted through grafting and irrigation water. The virus is considered a significant threat due to reduced yield and quality of produce.

Response measures are underway in South Australia, with a strong focus on sampling crops to delimit the extent of the spread. I am advised that over 1,000 samples have already been collected to help confirm how far the disease may have spread, with results from those samples pending from the interstate laboratories. PIRSA is working closely with the affected businesses, the Australian government's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, fellow interstate biosecurity agencies and industry. Movement controls and quarantine measures have been implemented for the infected premises to reduce the spread of this disease.

PIRSA is also investigating the source of the outbreak and determining if there is any potential further spread so that effective mitigation measures can be implemented. This detection is subject to consideration under the national Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed, and all state governments, the commonwealth government and 37 industry bodies are signatories to the deed. PIRSA reminds producers and home growers that should they notice anything suspicious with their plants or crops to immediately contact the 24/7 Exotic Plant Pest Hotline. It's important to note that the virus has no known effects on human health.

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