HORTICULTURAL groups in the Murray Valley say they may push for a levy on all residents in the fight against fruit fly after Victorian Government support ends in 2025.
Fruit Fly Murray Valley (FFMV) Advisory Group says it is concerned that without adequate funding post-2025, years of high pest pressure will result in crop loss and “significant” costs to growers to manage Queensland fruit fly.
A position paper released by FFMV asserts that while horticulture growers and industry are successfully meeting on farm responsibilities, government support is necessary to continue the co-ordination of off-farm fruit fly management after the program ends in June 2025.
At the most recent FFMV Advisory Group meeting held in February, industry representatives challenged the local government position that the responsibility of pest and disease management lies with state and territory governments.
They argued that if ongoing funding from the State Government was to cease, industry could approach councils and push for the introduction of a special rates scheme to be applied to all residents to assist in the area-wide management of Qfly.
However, FFMV contends that the only practical way for area-wide management to continue is through a state or national co-ordinated funding mechanism.
“Growers supported by industry are providing considerable contribution to the management of Qfly within the region through implementing on-farm controls,” the position paper read.
“Growers and industry should not be responsible for funding continued work off-farm and paying for the community at large.”
It said behavioural change within the community needed to be driven at a strategic level by the government to enable a co-ordinated and targeted approach to off-farm risk management.
“Achieving behavioural change across a community as wide and diverse as the Murray Valley can take a considerable amount of time and effort,” it said.
“Past programs have achieved significant change within the region, with the removal of unwanted fruit trees and training programs for people willing to put the time and effort into producing clean fruit.
“Off-farm fruit fly management requires government co-ordination and involve contribution from risk-creators.”
Since 2015, the region has been supported by more than $5 million worth of investment from Victorian Agriculture Ministers to support the pest free area industry development committee and grants in the Sunraysia region, along with $1.9 million from growers (2014-18) to transition from a pest free area to managing an established pest population.
The NSW Government has not financially contributed to the area-wide management responses for several years.
FFMV said horticulture was one of the main industries supporting the Murray Valley region with the estimated value of Qfly-impacted crops within the region at more than $950 million annually.
“There isn’t a quantitative measure of area-wide management impact, and the region hasn’t experienced high pest pressure without an off-farm area wide management program,” FFMV.
“This may be prohibitive to production and threatens the economy of the region.”
