To ensure that New South Wales remains free of potato cyst nematode, the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is running a series of free workshops to educate growers about the pest and its impacts on the potato industry.
Workshops targeting NSW’s major potato production areas will be held in Berrigan on Wednesday, March 16, Goulburn on Wednesday, March 23, and Griffith on Monday, April 4, with additional workshops planned for the rest of the state.
DPI industry liaison officer Bev Zurbo said PCN was a serious threat to Australia’s potato industry and a pest which growers and government aimed to keep at bay with legislation and movement conditions to protect the industry.
“Despite the presence of PCN in Victoria since 1991, NSW remains PCN-free thanks to the quarantine boundaries and procedures we have in place,” Ms Zurbo said.
“Growers play a significant role in keeping NSW PCN-free by being aware of the risks and how they can be avoided.
“These workshops will highlight the impacts and costs of a PCN infestation in real terms - lost production, market access, testing and management will all be explored.''
Ms Zurbo said there were lessons to be learned from the Victorian PCN outbreak.
“Wide-ranging impacts and repercussions from PCN infestation continue to have serious financial implications for Victorian potato growers and the industry,” she said.
“Eradication isn’t an option and moving to a new enterprise may be the only option for growers affected by this pest.”
Potato growers and industry advisers can register to attend a two-hour workshop by contacting Bev Zurbo, (02) 6938 1976, 0427 401 656 or [email protected].
Source: goodfruitandvegetables.com.au
