The National Management Group (NMG) has confirmed it is no longer technically feasible to eradicate tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) from Australia.
This decision is based on the technical considerations of the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests (CCEPP) and engagement with production nursery, capsicum, processing and fresh tomato industries on the potential to manage the pest as part of their normal business operations.
While the NMG agreed it was no longer technically feasible to eradicate ToBRFV from Australia, it also acknowledged it was important current strategies to contain the spread of the virus remain in place until such time as an agreed national strategy for management can be developed in consultation with impacted industries.
Following this decision and in further engagement with the impacted parties, advice will be provided urgently from the CCEPP regarding options on how best to support industry in preparing to manage and reduce the impacts of ToBRFV on Australian producers.
The South Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) and Agriculture Victoria will continue to work with property owners and industry through the next stages of the response.
More information on current activities, including movement controls, is available at www.pir.sa.gov.au/tobrfv and agriculture.vic.gov.au.
The NMG acknowledged the impact ToBRFV has had on fresh tomato growers, production nurseries and wider industry and recognised the substantial efforts by the impacted growers, PIRSA, and Agriculture Victoria in response efforts to date.
The national biosecurity system in Australia is effective at preventing and addressing pest and disease incursions through a coordinated approach offshore, at the border and onshore.
This involves prevention, detection, eradication and management techniques.
Australia’s stringent biosecurity measures for this virus, put in place in 2019, successfully kept Australia free from the virus until 2024.
It is anticipated that, going forward, Australian producers will significantly benefit from the rapid growth in understanding of both the biology and management of this virus that has been achieved by producers who have learned to live with the virus in other parts of the world.