If the supply of water gives life to the region’s horticulture industry, then one program in particular that targets an airborne threat ensures it bears fruit.
A decision made during Greater Shepparton City Council’s monthly meeting on September 19 to award a $231,589.60 contract to IK Caldwell AGnVET has highlighted the importance of the region’s fruit fly program to the Goulburn and Murray valleys’ fruit and vegetable production.
Mayor Shane Sali told the meeting that the program controlling fruit flies was almost as vital as having access to water.
“We speak about water; fruit fly is nearly as important, so I want to highlight the good work that they do, and I’m glad this council is getting right behind that,” he said.
IK Caldwell AGnVET was awarded the contract for trapping and monitoring Queensland fruit fly.
“Queensland fruit fly attack and damage a wide range of fruit and vegetables and is recognised as a serious pest across Greater Shepparton and Goulburn Murray Valley,” Cr Sali said.
“This contract is an important one in helping us combat this potentially devastating pest. The spread of Queensland fruit fly poses a serious threat to the region’s horticulture industry, along with domestic and international trade opportunities.”
The Goulburn Murray Valley Regional Fruit Fly Group was launched in 2016 to strengthen fruit fly management across the region. Measures and strategies have since been funded by the Victorian Government’s Managing Fruit Fly Regional Grant Program.
Regional fruit fly co-ordinator Ross Abberfield said the Goulburn Murray Valley Fruit Fly Area Wide Management Program was based on creating awareness, education and engagement in the community, industry and government to reduce the economic impact of fruit fly.
The program is supported by the Victorian Government and covers five shires — Greater Shepparton, Campaspe, Moira, Strathbogie and Berrigan — 16,500 sq km and 150,000 people.
Mr Abberfield said the contract awarded by council would help ensure the program had access to vital information.
“Queensland fruit fly trapping and monitoring is extremely important in ensuring we know what we are up against,” Mr Abberfield said.
“The growers depend on producing a fruit fly-free crop each season for a living, so they manage on-farm control of fruit fly very, very effectively, but they don’t have any control over the community or the government.”
That’s why a primary focus of the program has been educating residents with fruit and vegetables growing on their properties and removing unmanaged trees on private and crown land.
“Over 500 awareness road signs have been erected throughout the region and more than 5000 reports identifying ‘hot spots’ have been acted upon by targeting those areas and offering free removal of unmanaged and unwanted fruit trees,” Mr Abberfield said.
“Over 108,000 fruit trees have been removed so far, representing a huge amount of unmanaged fruit fly habitat.”
The effort is bearing results, too, with a 60 per cent reduction in Queensland fruit fly trapping numbers across the Goulburn Murray Valley region between 2017 and 2019.
But with the enemy able to slow its metabolism, retreat to evergreens in the warmer suburban gardens or even the ground through winter, and single females able to lay eggs from five weeks old and up to 2000 in a lifetime, the battle is yet to be won.
“In the GMV, we’ve got around $1.7 billion worth of fruit and vegies we produce that are known hosts to fruit fly. That’s a big chunk of our economy,” Mr Abberfield said.
“If detected by export trading partners, then the Australian horticulture industry as a whole will be impacted.”
Residents are urged to visit fruitflycontrol.com.au or https://greatershepparton.com.au/animals-environment-and-waste/environment/biodiversity/pests/fruit-fly to find out more about Queensland fruit fly.