URGENT meetings have been held in north Queensland as growers and government discuss the best way to tackle the outbreak of Panama Tropical Race 4 (TR4) in a banana plantation.
The meetings come in response to a suspected case of the soil-borne fungal disease in Tully earlier this month.
The meetings discussed details of the find of the suspected TR4 case on one Tully banana plantation and the response which includes follow-up testing and quarantining of the property.
Further tests of the suspect sample are expected within a fortnight.
Banana growers are being urged to review, and where necessary upgrade, their on-farm biosecurity measures.
Australian Banana Growers' Council (ABGC) Chairman Doug Phillips said given the initial testing has proved positive for TR4, the industry is urgently responding to the possibility that the disease has arrived in Australia's major banana-growing region.
"As the pathways for the spread of TR4 include the movement of infested soil carried on equipment, vehicles, planting material and people, we need to ensure everyone in our industry works together," Mr Phillips said.
Panama wilt, also known as Fusarium wilt is one of the world's worst banana plant diseases and is cause by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense.
Tropical Race 4 is considered the worst strain of the disease and affects all banana plant varieties, including Australia's major banana variety, Cavendish.
The disease kills banana plants by destroying the plants' vascular tissue.
It does not affect banana fruit and is not a human health issue and bananas remain safe to handle and eat.
In the Northern Territory, TR4 has significantly impacted the commercial banana growing industry.
It’s not the first time the banana industry has faced a significant disease threat. In the early 2000s, the Tully district became the first in the world to eradicate the dreaded leaf disease black sigatoka.
According to James Cook University’s plant and fungi expert, Dr Sandra Abell-Davis, this fungal disease has the potential to wipe out the $600 million North Queensland Banana industry.
Dr Jim Thompson, Biosecurity Qld, gave a media conference in which he revealed that in 1997 the disease wiped out the Northern Territory banana industry which continues to be virtually non-existent.
“The disease attacks the root and tissue of the banana plant but does not affect the fruit. The fruit is safe to eat,” Dr Thompson said.
It’s a line that’s been reiterated by member for Kennedy, Bob Katter who called on consumers to have faith in the banana industry.
“We emphasise and re-emphaise that this disease has got nothing to do with health to people,” Mr Katter said.
“I have every faith in our current industry leadership to overcome this potentially serious situation.
“But I do not have faith in the Government of this country to ensure that the normal protections and protocols that apply in Australia are applied to products coming in from overseas.
“Here we are yet again with another outbreak of disease in Australia - we’ve had INHV on the Barrier Reef, papaya fruit fly, citrus canker, black sigatoka and blue tongue. These are just a few examples of the price we are paying for free trade fanaticism.”
Queensland Agriculture Minister Bill Byrne said Biosecurity Queensland had acted as "as rapidly as humanly possible" after the test results returned a positive.
"I don't want to get to this stage and speculate about what the possibilities are, but in now way do I undersell the risk this disease poses," he told ABC Radio.
"I'd advise every other grower out there to really pay a lot of attention to their own biosecurity issues and quarantine issues on their properties - don't share equipment, don't move soil or plant material into their properties."
*For more information, visit: www.abgc.org.au
