EMBATTLED Katherine watermelon growers have been given an early Christmas present with the news that quarantine restrictions imposed after last year’s outbreak of cucumber green mottle mosaic virus will be lifted in early 2016.
The virus, which was first detected on a commercial farm south of Katherine in September 2014, crippled the Northern Territory’s $60 million melon industry as an initial two-year growing ban was slapped on infected properties.
Following the introduction of quarantine areas, impacted growers were forced to burn and bury their crops in a bid to stop CGMMV spreading to other NT growing areas and across borders.
But, on December 14, Primary Industry and Fisheries Minister Willem Westra van Holthe announced that a recently-signed national management agreement would allow growers to plant crops in the new year.
“Quarantine controls in the NT will be lifted in 2016, enabling growers to plant cucurbits in areas currently quarantined,” he said.
“Cucurbits grown in the NT will also be able to be sold to the all-important interstate markets without restrictions.
“Auditable on-farm biosecurity plans for each commercial cucurbit property will be required from the commencement of the 2016 growing season.”
The agreement has been welcomed by industry bodies, including AUSVEG.
The organisation’s national manager of scientific affairs, Dr Jessica Lye, said the removal of quarantine restrictions provided growers with certainty about their futures.
“Growers have been grappling with uncertainty about how future detections in the Territory will be treated,” Dr Lye said.
“It is great news that now they will have some guidelines and the power to make decisions.
“All jurisdictions have agreed that produce is a low-risk pathway for CGMMV.
“Lifting the quarantine status is testament to the hard work and vigilant biosecurity procedures put in place by growers in the area following the outbreak.”
