The Australian Banana Growers’ Council:
"Australian bananas still safe to eat despite disease detection"
Biosecurity Queensland (BQ) yesterday announced a suspect Panama TR4 detection on a Tully farm.
While it will be four to six weeks until definitive test results are known, there will be no impact whatsoever on fruit sold to consumers, whether the result is confirmed as positive or not. There is also no expectation that supply will be challenged.
ABGC Chair, Stephen Lowe said the pathogen impacted the banana tree/plant, not the fruit.
“What the pathogen does, is it enters the plant’s root system and restricts its uptake of water, stopping it from producing harvestable bunches and eventually killing it. So the impact on-farm is the ability to grow that banana plant.
“As an industry it is the farm that is impacted by Panama TR4, and it very much becomes an issue of management.
“Our consumers will still receive a healthy, delicious and nutritious product and will not be affected,” Mr Lowe said.
For more information:
Paula Doran
Australian Banana Growers' Council
Mob: +61 0408 424 194
paula@abgc.org.au
www.abgc.org.au