Virus identified at three South Australian properties as authorities work to contain the spread
Perfection Fresh, one of Australia’s largest fruit and vegetable producers has had its Two Wells property quarantined following detection of the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV).
The virus has now been detected at three South Australian properties including Gawler River Tomatoes and South Australia Tomatoes. In response, the state government has quarantined these three properties destroying hundreds of tonnes of tomatoes and halting production.
“The state government is taking immediate action to try and protect our state’s A$230m tomato and capsicum sector. This is not an easy decision,” said South Australia’s premier Peter Malinauskas. “The decision to quarantine those three facilities is all about seeking to contain the virus with a view to eradicate it.”
According to reporting from ABC News, Perfection Fresh has had to cut a “significant number” of jobs in response to the lockdown.
In a statement, Perfection Fresh chief executive Michael Simonetta said the impact of the lockdown on employees and their families was “simply devastating”.
“With no timeline for when the lockdown might be lifted, we have no choice but to stand down workers, some of whom have been with us for many years,” he said.
The South Australian state government has set up a taskforce to support workers affected by the response. The state’s Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) has been closely monitoring the virus and will chair the taskforce, which will include senior representatives from key state government agencies as well as industry body Ausveg.
“Quarantining these greenhouses will have an impact on workers, which is why the state government has established a taskforce to assist those workers,” Malinauskas said.
“This includes establishing a Worker Assistance Hub at the Virginia Horticulture Centre, which will open tomorrow and help workers and their families accessing the support and services they need.”
Support will include connection to services provided by Centrelink, Red Cross and Lutheran Care and priority access to specialist financial information services officers.
Minister for primary industries and regional development Clare Scriven said eradication is still possible.
“We remain unique in the world as one of the only countries that still can eradicate this disease,” she said. “With only three properties in Australia impacted at this point we are absolutely committed to doing everything we can to assist and advocate for the people whose lives have been upended as a result of the incursion of this virus.”
Precautionary measures remain in place in other jurisdictions including a Queensland Movement Control Order suspending entry into the state of potential ToBRFV carriers from South Australia; the application of import requirements for potential carriers of ToBRFV entering Western Australia from South Australia and a New South Wales Control Order preventing the movement of risk items, including tomatoes, capsicums and chillies from affected and linked, properties in South Australia.
Temporary suspensions of Australian tomato imports into New Zealand, and imports of Australian tomatoes, capsicums and chillis, into New Caledonia remain also in place.
