Growers forced to find off-farm incomes after fruit fly financial hit
Growers say the SA government needs to invest in more proactive monitoring of fruit fly and support them in resuming normal trade by lifting red zone restrictions in areas that have been outbreak-free.
South Australian fruit growers are finding it difficult to cope with financial losses due to ongoing fruit fly restrictions in the Riverland region. The Queensland fruit fly has been a major problem since its outbreak in Renmark West in late December 2020. This has led to strict rules that restrict produce movement and require approved treatments before it can be sold.
The state department of primary industries (PIRSA) had allocated $43 million for fruit fly management in the last financial year, but only $10 million was spent due to fewer detections of the pest. Growers such as Jody Miltenoff have had to seek off-farm employment, like becoming a project manager on a hotel development in Port Adelaide, to maintain their income.
Miltenoff's jujube business is challenging to manage from afar, especially with extreme heatwaves damaging his crops and the cost of fruit fly management. Many growers in the Riverland have been considering early retirement or seeking off-farm work as the restrictions hinder their ability to sell their produce in the eastern states.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
