THE Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries chief plant health manager says it is “business as usual” for the Northern Territory watermelon growers operating outside the four quarantine zones imposed tostop the spread of the highly infectious cucumber green mottle mosaic virus.
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Producers in the four zones – three around Katherine and one at Lambells Lagoon, on the outskirts of Darwin – are carrying out the heartbreaking task of destroying their crops but Stephen West said it was important to remember that the whole $60 million industry had not been quarantined.
“The entire industry is not quarantined, just the affected properties,” he said.
Growers in the four zones have been given two weeks to burn and bury their crops after being presented with a quarantine notice but the time frame can be extended if there is a “legitimate” reason.
“If [they grower] says it’s physically impossible to do in two weeks, but they can do it in three weeks, they need to come back to the chief inspector and ask for that extension,” Mr West explained.
“Obviously our intent of the two-week timeline is to get it done [as soon as possible] and get that infected material destroyed as quickly as possible.”
CGMMV can infect other cucurbits, including cucumbers, pumpkins and squash, and growers both in the NT and further afield are waiting with bated breath to see if the virus has been contained.
New South Wales producer Jamie Schembri grows about 10,000 tonnes of watermelons a year and told the Katherine Times last week he had “really nearly putting a lock on the gate” in a bid to keep CGMMV off his property.
“It’s a very big concern for us, as melons are our main line of produce, so we’re at this time just starting off some biosecurity and making sure we’re looking at the paddock pretty hard,” Mr Schembri said.
While many in the industry have suggested the source of the virus was contaminated seeds, Mr West said it was not yet possible to point the finger of blame.
“We have don’t any substantiating evidence on any seed line at all and that investigation is obviously ongoing,” he said.
As testing and surveillance of cucurbit crops outside the quarantine areas continues, Mr West said he empathised with affected producers, adding that destruction was an unfortunate-yet-needed step in the fight to quash CGMMV.
“We all recognise this has hit people hard,” he said.
“This is their business that’s on the line.
“It’s their livelihood but we’re also in the place where we need to respond to this quickly and effective to secure a future for the industry.”
