Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), which has devastated tomato crops around the world has been detected in Australia for the first time.
The Australian Department of Agriculture and Fisheries confirmed the virus had been detected in two commercial locations in the Northern Adelaide Plains region in South Australia.
Growers in the country’s other key producing region said that Biosecurity Queensland was working alongside the agriculture department and other agencies, such as the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), to determine whether the virus had spread further, and to continue market access support for produce from Queensland where possible.
PIRSA said it was investigating the source of the outbreak and determining any potential further spread so that effective mitigation measures could be implemented as quickly as possible. South Australian chief plant health officer Nick Secomb commented, “Growers are urged to look out for signs of tomato brown rugose fruit virus and report anything unusual to ensure early detection. PIRSA will continue to update industry on surveillance, testing and contract tracing efforts.”
James Bertam of Rijk Zwaan stressed that the company would support Australian growers, adding in an article, ‘The long-term sustainability and profitability of the Australian vegetable industry depends on the adoption of new varieties with high levels of resistance to ToBRFV, alongside the implementation of best practice on-farm hygiene measures and effective technical crop management strategies.’
The outbreak has also attracted attention further afield. In response to the news, New Zealand announced an immediate temporary ban on the importation of Australian tomatoes for at least seven days. Tomatoes NZ chairperson Barry O’Neil commented, “If ToBRFV was to get to New Zealand, it could have dire consequences for our greenhouse tomato and capsicum industry because the virus spreads extremely easily and has such a major impact on production, with reported crop losses of up to 80 percent. The best line of defence is to keep the virus out of New Zealand. We are in discussions with government officials and the industry about how to achieve this.”
UK tomato growers expressed their solidarity with their Australian colleagues on LinkedIn. ‘Australia has seen its first ever outbreak of the devastating ToBRFV and the British Tomato Growers’ Association member’s thoughts are with the Australian growers going through this outbreak,’ the association said.
