Fruit fly funding cut looms in Victorian Budget

Despite increased risks of fruit-fly infestation, funding to keep one of Victoria’s most damaging horticultural pests is about to be cut.

A fruit fly.

Funding to keep one of Victoria’s most damaging horticultural pests at bay — Queensland Fruit Fly — is about to be cut in tomorrow’s Victorian State Budget.

Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas is due to announce today that $6.4 million will be allocated over the next four years to the Fruit Fly Strategy for Victoria 2021-25.

Yet Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions annual reports also show that it in the four years from 2016-17 to 2019-20 it handed $7.84m in grants to community and fruit growing groups in the Greater Sunraysia, Goulburn Murray and Yarra Valleys to control fruit fly.

Additional funding was likely to have been spent on area wide management by Agriculture Victoria.

A Government spokesman said Agriculture Victoria had spent $10.1m over the six years of the previous 2015-2020 Managing Fruit Fly in Victoria Action Plan.

The cutback comes at time when the horticulture sector is facing increased risks of infestation, after some growers struggled to pick all their fruit due to a COVID-driven harvest labour shortages that led to increased fruit fall.

Despite the increased risk and cutback Minister Thomas said the $6.4m over four years empowered the “industry and the community to lead the way so we can best protect our robust horticultural businesses and ensure their local communities continue to thrive.

“We are listening to our horticulture farmers who have overwhelmingly voiced their support for the continuation of Fruit Fly Regional Co-ordinators and the programs they deliver.”

“Providing this local, on-ground management helps our farmers to grow the quality produce they are known for.”

Ms Thomas said $5.3m of the $6.4m would be available in grants for Victoria’s three key horticultural regions – the Yarra Valley, Sunraysia and the Goulburn Murray.

Managing Queensland Fruit Fly helps protect 14,000 jobs in the horticulture sector, particularly in the citrus and tablegrape sectors.

Queensland fruit fly is a serious pest that can affect production and markets in horticulture industries – more than $1 billion of Victoria’s horticultural exports are susceptible to damage from fruit fly.