Further dramas have plagued an already concerned Queensland banana industry since the weekend. Firstly, a further round of test results confirmed that Panama Tropical Race 4 (TR4) was discovered in the quarantined farm in Tully, confirming the ‘worst nightmare’ of the farm’s occupants. The family at the centre of the outbreak, Heidi and Mario Quagliata, said that they do not know how the fungal pathogen made its way to their farm. The farm remains in lockdown as decisions are made as to whether and how any of the fruit can be sold. Lastly important research into managing the disease has had to be halted.
“Everyone's a bit dumbfounded about how it got there, because we've never travelled to the Northern Territory. If it's at our place, it could be elsewhere. We could be the third in line after it actually being here," Mrs Quagliata, who is the daughter of farm owners Bevan and Jennifer Robson, told media.
Banana Freckle rears its ugly head
Most recently, it was confirmed on Tuesday that research into the TR4 pathogen, which was being conducted in the Northern Territory, would not be able to continue due to the Banana Freckle Eradication Program.
The latest piece of news is truly a devastating blow to the hopes of farmers who want to protect their crops from future outbreaks. “It would be the first opportunity in years the Australians have gone back into Tropical Race 4 evaluation work, so it was pretty exciting.
"But due to the incursion of Banana Freckle and the eradication program, the requirement is that all bananas within the red zones have to be eradicated by the end of April, and we're in that [red zone]," Bob Williams, the Northern Territory’s Director of Plant Industries told the ABC. According to him the plan is now to wait until next year and plant different Cavendish banana variants in May 2016.
The Australian Banana Grower’s Council has also defended the time it took to get decontamination information to affected growers, including products and protocols and methods available. “"It is difficult... should this information already be available? I guess in a perfect world you would say 'yes'. But we all know when something is remote, it's not top of mind," said the Chairman of the Council, Doug Phillips in an interview with ABC. Mr Phillips also pointed out that there have been other diseases affecting banana crops across the industry, including Black Sigatoka and Banana Freckle Disease.
Growers to remain vigilant
There is already a task force set up and extra staff approved by the Queensland Government to help contain the disease, and protect the $600 million per year industry. The response was announced on Monday, March 16.
The latest announcements from government are from Biosecurity Queensland, confirming decontamination methods, and reminding farmers that plants are not to be planted or removed from any property in a Queensland Pest Quarantined area, and that infected plants can be injected to be killed. There are also guidelines for growers, and further information is available on the Biosecurity Queensland website:
Growers are urged to protect their property by:
• using good on-farm biosecurity practices including ensuring the use of clean planting material such as tissue culture plants
• not sharing farm machinery and equipment with other growers
• removing all plant material and soil from all machinery, equipment, vehicles and footwear before entry to their property.
If you suspect Panama disease on your plants, report it immediately to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23, or call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.
For more information
Biosecurity Queensland