All The Latest News From The Australian Banana Industry
Page 1 of 2
30 MARCH 2015
Highlights
• ABGC destroys banana plants on
TR4-affected blocks
• Announcment on biosecurity
review
• Updated washdown guidelines
released
ABGC destroys banana plants on TR4-affected blocks
The banana industry’s peak body, the
Australian Banana Growers’ Council
(ABGC), has destroyed banana plants on
part of the Tully Valley farm quarantined
for Panama TR4, acting on behalf of the
farm’s owner.
On Saturday, an ABGC field officer and his
assistant destroyed a total of 210 plants
on a 10-hectare section of the farm
including the 10 plants that had tested
positive for TR4 plus another 200
surrounding plants. The plant destruction
was supervised by BQ inspectors.
The ABGC said the destruction of the
plants was an important step in containing
the banana plant fungus.
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Banana Growers' Council as a part of the
Communications Project for the Banana
Industry funded by HIA Ltd using the banana
industry R&D levy and matched funds from
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ABGC Chairman Doug Phillips thanked the
grower from the affected farm for his
continuing assistance with the response to
the TR4 confirmation. On Friday evening,
the grower was provided with an order by
BQ for the plants’ destruction and he
immediately accepted an ABGC offer to
carry out the destruction on his behalf.
One of the TR4-affected plants on the
quarantined Tully Valley farm - ten
plants that tested positive for TR4 and
another 200 surrounding plants were
destroyed on Saturday.
“The destruction of the TR4-affected banana plants and the surrounding plants
is an important step in containing this plant disease,” Mr Phillips said.
“On behalf of the banana industry, the ABGC would like to thank the farm’s
owner and his family for their continuing assistance with this very important
biosecurity response.”
The ABGC has welcomed news from Biosecurity Queensland that test results
completed on plant samples have so far shown no TR4 has been found on other
North Queensland banana farms.
Mr Phillips said the announcement that no infections had been found on other
farms was good news for the industry.
“It’s very encouraging that there have been no detections of TR4 on other
banana farms,” Mr Phillips said. “Surveillance and testing is continuing and we
would ask all growers to continue to report any plants that may appear to have
TR4 symptoms.”
To see the full ABGC release, please click here. The BQ release is here.
https://abgc.au.zuluedm.com/home.php?mode=view_in_browser&ctemplate_id=172
4/20/2015
All The Latest News From The Australian Banana Industry
Page 2 of 2
Ag Minister announces Qld biosecurity review, ABGC
calls for plant biosecurity
Queensland Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Bill Byrne has announced a
review of the state’s biosecurity capability.
“It will be a detailed review focussed on restoring Queensland’s biosecurity
response capability to world’s best practice,” the Minister said.
“The recent confirmation of Panama Disease on a banana plantation in Tully
serves as a stark reminder that we can’t afford to lower our guard against
infections."
The review's terms of reference would soon be announced, he said.
The Australian Banana Growers' Council (ABGC) welcomed the review and said an
increase in plant biosecurity services was essential.
ABGC Chairman Doug Phillips said: “This is a critical time for the banana
industry, we welcome the Queensland Government review of the state’s
biosecurity systems and believe we can provide some useful insights into what’s
required to improve them."
To see the MInister's statement, please click here. The ABGC statement is
available here. New washdown guidelines released
Biosecurity Queensland has released an updated guide on equipment, vehicle
and machinery clean down and decontamination procedures.
To see a copy, please click here.
The guide is also ono the Panama TR4 page of the ABGC website
www.abgc.org.au
The Banana Growers' e-Bulletin is produced and distributed by the Australian Banana Growers' Council (ABGC). ABGC
Unit 3, South Gate East Commercial Centre 250 Sherwood Road ROCKLEA QLD 4106
PO Box 309 BRISBANE MARKET QLD 4106
Tel: 07 3278 4786 Fax: 07 3278 4938
Web: www.abgc.org.au
https://abgc.au.zuluedm.com/home.php?mode=view_in_browser&ctemplate_id=172
4/20/2015