Compliance conundrum surrounds fruit fly control measures

But industry members are fearing that the widely-preferred control method of pre-harvest baiting will not be recognised as adequate treatment for fruit travelling from outbreak and suspension zones, to fruit fly-sensitive markets such as Adelaide.

As outlined in Interstate Certification Assurances - ICA 28 for citrus and ICA 21 for stonefruit - if a property in a suspension or outbreak zone conducts regular bait spraying at a maximum of seven-day intervals for 12 weeks prior to harvest, with no detection of fruit fly through the baiting period, fruit can be moved into clean areas, with no further treatment such as fumigation or dipping, required.

Citrus SA chair Mark Doecke said ensuring baiting methods were deemed as sufficient treatment would be a huge win for growers.

"We've heard that the state government is in negotiations with the federal government, but it's been weeks now, and there is still a bit of contention surrounding what we will be allowed to do," Mr Doecke said.

In response to Stock Journal (sister publication to Good Fruit & Vegetables) questions, a state government spokesperson confirmed that the state government was working closely with the federal government to ensure ICAs and other trade obligations are honoured.

"We're hoping that ICA28 gets the tick of approval, but we're still waiting - a lot of growers are going to be negatively impacted if all of a sudden we can't use this protocol, after we've been following the protocol direction," Mr Doecke said.

"This is not a new document, and we have no idea why all of a sudden it wouldn't be accepted - it's red tape."

RELATED READING

Summerfruit SA executive officer Tim Grieger agreed that baiting was the best control method.

"An ICA arrangement is the most straightforward way to allow them to go to sensitive markets, like Adelaide," he said.

"Fumigation is undesirable because it reduces the pristine condition of fruit. It's a fallback option, and after fumigation, fruit is still a good and useable product, but not as good as what we'd like it to be."

While ICA guidelines were recognised as sufficient for the recent stonefruit harvest, which wrapped up in March, Mr Grieger said fruit fly restrictions in place until December meant growers could potentially run into trouble later in the year, if ICA procedures were no longer deemed sufficient.

Key market destinations in eastern states, such as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, do not have Pest Free Area status, therefore there is no requirement for fruit from outbreak or suspension zones to be treated before arrival.

But Mr Grieger said shifting markets from sensitive areas like Adelaide and WA, to non-sensitive areas, was not necessarily an option.

"Some growers have attempted to find alternative markets, but the market is generally full up in eastern states, because COVID-19 has shut down overseas markets, meaning many growers in eastern states are instead sending their fruit to local destinations," he said.

"A significant amount of fruit coming from SA would result in an oversupply."

Murtho citrus and stonefruit grower Ben Haslett, Woolenook Fruits, said maintaining good working relationships with the Adelaide domestic market was vital.

"The cost involved in delivering a high-quality cost-effective product there is challenging, but we've had a brand in Adelaide for a long time, and it is important for us to continue to deliver," he said.

Mr Haslett will have been baiting for 12 weeks on June 20, a few weeks after mandarin harvest starts at the end of May.

For the first few weeks of harvest, he will fumigate his produce, and is relying on the fact that after the 12 weeks is up, baiting will be recognised as an adequate treatment.

"To bait, we've had to procure machinery, spend half of every Friday bait spraying - after all those expenses, if we all of a sudden hear that we have to fumigate on top of that, we'll be highly disappointed that being proactive and adhering to direction isn't recognised," he said.

Mr Haslett said fumigation in the region was a very expensive option due to limited number of fumigators, and erratic requirements.

"Fumigating one pallet space at a local facility can cost around $160, and you can fit four hat bins into that space, so it's about $40 per bin spent," he said.

"If you send that one hat bin to Adelaide, that might cost $12 in freight - adding $40 on top of that is huge. If you sell produce at $1/kg, so return roughly $200 a bin, and take $40 out of that, that massively affects profitability."

Mr Haslett understands fruit fly control is challenging and is in agreeance with a number of restrictions and control measures in place for fruit fly eradication, but questioned a lack of enforcable rules surrounding orchard maintenance.

"If you travel from Adelaide with an apple in your pocket, you get a massive fine - but there is no power for someone with an abandoned orchard and tonnes of dropped fruit to be forced to be clean up," he said.

A state government spokesperson confirmed the government was "considering bringing in additional measures" surrounding fruit fly host produce.

Primary Industries Minister David Basham said the state government was doing "everything it could" to eradicate fruit fly, with 7500 fruit fly traps already in place across the state, more traps being set, and other control methods being carried out.

"We have had more than 450 staff on the ground undertaking baiting and fruit stripping operations across the outbreak areas as well as utilising the latest technology such as aerial and ground releases of sterile fruit flies at a total cost of more than $20 million to-date," he said.

Mr Grieger said despite the number of outbreaks, it was important to understand the Riverland was not "riddled" with fruit fly.

"It's easy to get impression that Qfly is everywhere in the Riverland, but it's not, it's confined to about a dozen or so properties, primarily home gardens," he said.

"But yes, it's there, and eradication is absolutely key.

"It's a trying and testing time, but industry is working very hard, and very closely with the state government, and I have every confidence that we'll win the fight over the coming months to beat this nasty little beast."

Sign up here to Good Fruit and Vegetables weekly newsletter for all the latest horticulture news each Thursday...