$30m federal funding will help fight fruit fly as SA nears Adelaide, Riverland outbreaks’ end

The federal government will pitch in $30m to fight fruit fly across the country as SA edges closer to lifting outbreak zones across Adelaide and the Riverland.

South Australia has spent the past year battling to wipe out fruit fly outbreaks – and now a $30m federal commitment will boost that attack.

The government has announced the national funding will be spent around the country on measures such as upgrades to roadblocks and quarantine stations and improvements to sterile insect technology.

It will also go towards post-harvest treatment infrastructure, such as cold rooms, fumigation chambers and irradiation facilities.

Cherry growing family the Hannafords, including Ethan, 13, Tony, 19, William, 9, Zoe, 16, Armanii, 2, Tony and his wife Thi. Picture: Emma Brasier.

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the money, allocated over three years, would help protect the $6.5bn worth of crops that fruit flies target.

“We’re looking to stop the spread of fruit fly through regional Australia, while also driving the numbers of fruit flies down,” he said.

South Australia has been gripped by its largest-ever battle against fruit fly this year, with 18 outbreak zones – 12 in Adelaide, five in the Riverland and one in Port Augusta.

The outbreaks have cost growers millions of dollars in treatment costs and lost markets.

Port Augusta’s outbreak zone was lifted on Sunday, and those in Adelaide and the Riverland are expected to end progressively from December 22 if no more flies or maggots are found before then.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says more money to battle fruit fly will help protect $6.5bn worth of horticulture in Australia. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

In the Adelaide Hills, cherry grower Tony Hannaford said growers were constantly fending off fruit fly threats from WA, Victoria and NSW.

“Other countries have managed to get rid of this just by throwing resources at it,” Mr Hannaford said.

He said fruit fly free zones were “much kinder” on fruit, because produce sent to interstate markets did not need treatments such as fumigation, which reduces its shelf life.

A sterile Queensland fruit fly on an apricot.

Mr Hannaford said Asia also presented lucrative markets for the state’s horticulturalists.

“This money will help support that and encourage our long-term viability and employment,” he said.

Riverland-based Senator Anne Ruston said the funding would help the state, which she labelled a “horticultural powerhouse”, punch above its weight into the future.

The state government has spent $50m fighting the current outbreaks, through measures such as restrictions on the movement of fruit and vegetables, baiting, collecting fallen fruit and releasing sterile flies to break the life cycle.

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