The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) has placed three South Australian tomato businesses into quarantine in an attempt to limit the outbreak of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV).
ToBRFV is a highly contagious plant disease that affects tomatoes, capsicums, and chillies. The virus has not been detected in Australian tomato crops previously and an outbreak is expected to threaten hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in the industry.
Infected fruits show symptoms such as yellow spotting and marbling, deformation and uneven ripening, and wrinkled patches. Leaves may become yellowed, display mosaic patterns, crumple or deform, and have blister-like appearances on their surfaces.
“Growers are urged to look out for signs of tomato brown rugose fruit virus and report anything unusual to ensure early detection,” said South Australian Chief Plant Health Officer Nick Secomb.
At this point, South Australian growers Perfection Fresh, Growers Gawler River Tomato, and SA Tomatoes have been impacted by the outbreak. Perfection Fresh holds 30 per cent of Australia’s market share.
Industry experts fear tomato prices may rise because of the outbreak. Currently, Western Australia and Queensland have banned South Australian tomatoes, and New South Wales is only receiving produce from businesses without recorded cases of the virus.
The South Australian government hopes the quarantine will prevent the virus from spreading across South Australia’s $230 million tomato and capsicum sector.
The virus was first detected in the Middle East in 2014 and has since been reported in Europe, China, Mexico, and the USA.
PIRSA Minister Clare Scriven said the South Australian government is working closely with industry and Federal Government to respond to the cases, including undertaking extensive sampling and testing. She urged consumers to support South Australian growers and continue to buy local tomatoes. ToBRFV has no known health effect on humans.
The South Australian Government and Federal Government are working to support tomato industry workers by providing personalised information about government payments from Services Australia.
“While this is an evolving situation, the bottom line is that workers impacted should take advantage of the support available through Services Australia, as it’s really important they understand their options,” says Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten.
For further information on ToBRFV, see the PIRSA website.
