Fruit Flies Swat Export Hopes

office(at)ausbuy.com.au

Fruit fly outbreaks in two states will hit the hip-pockets of exporters for the coming season.

 Two new outbreaks of Queensland fruit fly have been detected at Strathmerton and Eldorado in northern Victoria, while in NSW Hillston fruit growers are reeling after flies were caught in traps during the past two weeks.

The Hillston outbreak is particularly significant, as the area produces a third of the citrus in the Riverina.

Riverina Citrus liaison officer Darren Gibbs said the only areas still free of fruit fly were Narrandera and Leeton, with the remainder of Riverina growers now needing to cold-sterilise their fruit to be eligible for export.

Mr Gibbs has been delivering free fruit fly traps to businesses, hoping to keep fruit fly numbers under control.

This article, by Fiona Myers and Sandra Godwin, appeared in the Weekly Times on 19th May 2010.

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