The detection of 15 Mediterranean fruit flies in the South Australian city of Port Augusta has prompted the state’s citrus industry to call for vigilance against the pest.
The detection was close to the Riverland citrus growing area, which has fruit fly free status and does not need to cold-treat citrus before exporting to Japan and the US.
South Australian Citrus Industry Board CEO Andrew Green told the ABC the citrus industry in the Riverland region alone was worth A$250m, and a fruit fly outbreak in the area would affect access to important markets.
“It would affect all horticulture, treatment programmes would have to be rolled out which would cost all horticulturists money and that is something we have to avoid at all cost,” he told the ABC.
The threat of fruit fly to the area is ever present with more than 180 outbreaks of Queensland fruit fly detected recently in New South Wales and Victoria, including 24 in the Sunraysia region, which is a hub for citrus and grape production.
