Aid for stricken growers

A $2 million support package has been released to help growers meet new protocols set up in the North-West fruit fly control zone.

The new rules are part of an effort to destroy the adult male fruit flies detected at Spreyton and on Flinders Island, and to maintain domestic and inter- national market Tasmanian fruit.

Primary Industries and Water Minister Jeremy Rockliff, along with Labor spokesman for primary industries Shane Broad, announced the bipartisan support package available immediately to affected growers, distributors and retailers of fruit.

Tasmanian Farmers access for and Graziers Association said the support package for growers and ancillary industries is to be highly commended.

“Maintaining confidence in national and international markets is vital for Tasmania,” Mr Rockliff said.

“We must protect Tasmania’s pest-free-area status, which provides valuable market access into Asian markets.”

Fruit Growers Tasmania president Nic Hansen said growers support the deal and the tighter protocols.

“The new protocols are fair. Fruit from within the control zone can go to mainland markets, except Western Australia and South Australia, which are both responding to fruit fly detections in their fruit fly free zones,” Mr Hansen said.

He said cherry season in the North has finished and it will be completed by mid next week in the South.

Export protocols are negotiated by the Commonwealth Government.

TFGA chief executive Peter Skillern said it was pleasing to see there had been bipartisan support for these announcements.

“This shows once again the importance of agriculture to Tasmania is well recognised,” Mr Skillern said.

Primary Industries yesterday enacted stricter controls on the movement of fruit from the control zone to other parts of Tasmania. Fruit leaving the control zone must undergo cold sterilisation or fumigation.