Recent news on wet weather in Queensland and the dangers of the fusarium fungus, pythium and erwinia soft rot bacteria may have left some worried for the future of the Australian ginger industry, however growers are still reporting some of the best crops they’ve had and asking ‘where did the news come from?’ according to the President of the Australian Ginger Industry Association, Anthony Rehbein. “I’ve had three growers say ‘have you seen this article [the recent report on abc.net.au]?’” he tells Fresh Plaza. “I disagree with the article as industry chairman, and I am going to be talking to the researchers involved.”
As head of the peak industry body, Mr Rehbein speaks to growers across the country on a regular basis, and by and large the weather has been friendly according to him. “If there is a problem it’s not from wet weather, it’s because of the stresses of ginger growing in previous years. I have to say that the weather is more of a benefit than a crime.”
Ginger grower Shane Templeton definitely agrees with the view put forward by Mr Rehbein, and he is harvesting the best crop he says his farm has produced in 6-7 years, despite the ongoing threat of fusarium. “It depends on the individual grower and how you treat the ginger. When we plant our seed we are very finicky with how and what we do. That’s why I have grey hair because ginger is so hard to grow.”
When it comes to adequate supply Mr Templeton also says his yield is good and market prices are, if anything, a little bit low indicating a healthy supply. “I’m looking at my yields of Buderim ginger and going ‘I’ve got a lot of ginger to sell’. We’re going into the new seasons crop.”
“There might be a few rumblings from new growers, who have turned up and not produced the crop they want and said ‘it’s so bad’, but I’ve had the pythium problem 6 years ago too, and I’ve still got it but I’m managing it better,” adds Mr Templeton.
The ginger industry in Australia, and in any other country, always has a level of fusarium and other diseases around, according to Mr Rehbein, and the threat of fusarium or any other fungus or disease is equal to that in growing potatoes, wheat or any other horticultural crop. Again Mr Templeton agrees, noting that when he started out 22 years ago, as a 21 year old “everybody was talking about fusarium. Well you solve one problem and another one pops up. You have to get smarter.”
For more information
Anthony Rehbein – President
Australian Ginger Industry Association
Phone: 0416155399
E-mail: Anthony@hummockproduce.com
Website: www.australianginger.org.au
Shane Templeton
Buderim Ginger
Phone: +61419862974
E-mail: shane@templeton.net.au