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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-11-26 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (15:02): My questions are to the Minister for Primary Industries on the topic of testing results for market access of the tomato industry. How many properties are currently waiting for testing results for the tomato brown rugose virus? How many of these properties have been waiting for more than 10 days for these results and how many of these properties have been waiting more than three weeks for results?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:03): I thank the honourable member for her question. PIRSA continues to work diligently to prevent the tomato brown rugose fruit virus from spreading from the three infected properties on which it has now been contained for around three months. Through these efforts, another 240 South Australian growers—or roughly 240 South Australian growers—remain protected from the direct impacts of this devastating disease.

Obviously, we would prefer that all markets were open to all South Australian growers, but through the significant efforts of my department we have been able to maintain trade for all South Australian growers, bar the three infected properties, to markets in South Australia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

There have been numerous trade discussions, which have also established sampling regimes to allow those growers to access the West Australian and Queensland markets. PIRSA has established a new accredited biosecure testing facility at the Waite campus to support these arrangements and greatly increase the number of tests that can be undertaken for this disease every week.

Without these efforts, we would have seen devastating impacts to our $230 million industry. The vast majority have been protected from this disease through the response that has been led by PIRSA. Over 5,000 samples, I am advised, have now been collected as part of the response, with more than 4,700 of these returning a negative result. This work has seen 18 trace properties now assessed as negative for the disease, with three properties able to certify produce to Western Australia and Queensland.

The weight of numbers continues to evidence that the disease spread has been contained and so continues to strengthen the argument that the vast majority of South Australian growers should be able to trade to all markets interstate without restriction. Obviously, we would prefer that all samples are returned extremely quickly, but there has been an incredible demand for trade certification, which has seen some growers having to wait longer than we would have wished for test results.

This has not been helped by the fact that a significant number of samples have also needed to be retested before the required full set of negative results can be obtained. It's worth just explaining that a little bit further. When results come back, if they are in a certain range they will be considered negative, if they are in a certain other range they will be considered positive, and then there is a range in the middle which is considered inconclusive. This is based on the national agreements that come from the national bodies that are part of this response. When I say 'national bodies', that's involving all the states and territories, as well as the commonwealth government.

I am advised there are currently 170 test results that are considered inconclusive because they are in that range that I mentioned and that are trying to be resolved. I am advised that 34 growers have so far registered their intent to send product to Western Australia or Queensland, and because of that for that market access they require testing to be done. I am advised a few have multiple properties, so 39 in total. Of these, three have either requested a hold on sampling or no longer wish to be involved in export to those two states. I am advised that 31 have been sampled.

The time that is being taken by the SARDI laboratory is less than what it takes to send these tests interstate. It is still taking longer than we would wish. PIRSA is taking action to reduce this time further through establishing an additional processing room for the laboratory and running extra sample batches every day. Case managers are in touch with growers whenever results come in and, I am advised, at least once a week. PIRSA is also communicating partial results to explain that that retesting is required in those circumstances.

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