Tully Valley farm:
ABGC considers TR4 farm buy-out
Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) Chairman Doug Phillips said discussions are being held with the farm’s owners, the Robson family, over the possibility of their 166-hectare farm being purchased so that banana farming can be discontinued, decreasing the risk of the disease spreading.
Mr Phillips said a buy-out and closure would be the best solution for the Robsons, other banana growers, the broader banana industry and banana-growing communities.
“The Robson family did the right thing by reporting the suspect banana plants on their property earlier this year and they have endured financial and emotional hardship as a result of their farm being quarantined for Panama TR4,” he said.
“Since the first detection of TR4 on the farm was confirmed in March, there have been two other detections on the farm, but fortunately for the industry no other farms have been found to be infested.
“The ABGC believes that the best course of action for both the Robson family and the overall banana industry is for the farm to be purchased with the funds going to the Robsons. This will mean they can achieve the sale of their farm and it can then be shut down in a way that minimises financial hardship so far experienced by the family.
“The ABGC believes it is in the best interests of the overall banana industry that farming be discontinued on the property as soon as possible. The spores that cause TR4 live in the soil and can multiply quickly when banana plants present. This means that a farm closure would reduce the risks of inoculum levels increasing and of TR4-infested soil being moved during farming operations.”
Mr Phillips said the next step in the discussions would be negotiating a proposed sale price for the farm and then determining if sufficient funds could be raised.
“The ABGC will keep banana growers and our industry partners informed on the progress of discussions,” he said.
Banana growers earlier this year voluntarily contributed to an ABGC levy which raised funds for the Robsons and another banana-growing family who were affected by TR4 quarantines. Proceeds from that levy, along with matching contributions from the Federal and Queensland governments, were paid to both families in July.
Mr Phillips said those payments related to reimbursements for temporary interruptions to banana farming caused by the quarantines and were substantially less than the likely cost of a farm buy-out.
For more information:
Luke Roberts
Cape Public Relations
Tel: +61 0422 855 930
Email: luke@capepublicrelations.com