News on Zebra Chip disease from Australia

The government of Western Australia has announced that it has succeeded in regaining market access for Western Australian potatoes in all of Australia, following the detection of tomato potato psyllid in February 2017.

In Western Australia, a surveillance program to assess if the last year detected tomato potato psyllid (TPP) carries the zebrachip disease pathogen (CLso), did not identify a single case of the pest - with over 10.000 psyllids tested.

Potato farmers could see Eastern States markets reopen in the near future which are still closed to WA following the tomato potato psyllid outbreak last year.

In Tasmania, Australia, surveillance programs for the tomato potato psyllid (TPP) are being ramped up as growers try to delay any incursion of the pest for as long as possible.

Raylea Rowbottom, a researcher of the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture says it's inevitable that the potato psyllid, a destructive insect that has threatened tomato and potato crops in Western Australia will make it to the east coast.

Alan Parker looked out onto the farm business he had spent his entire life establishing. The West Australian seed potato grower will know in the next six weeks whether his lifelong career will continue.

Potato Psyllids, a destructive plant pest found for the first time in Australia in February cannot be eradicated, so the industry will seek to manage it, rather than destroy it, according to The Department of Food and Agriculture of West Australia.

Potato producers in south-west Western Australia say the detection of the potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) is a "serious blow" to their industry. The detection of the psyllid may put national and international exports in jeopardy.

Australian Researchers are working closely with the country's potato industry to investigate the potential for the highly destructive Tomato-potato psyllid (TPP) to enter Australia using natural pathways.

Australia’s industry association of vegetable and potato growers, AUSVEG, has welcomed the announcement by the Federal Minister for Agriculture that the Federal Government will review the current process by which biosecurity threats are assessed.

Claims New Zealand potatoes do not pose a “substantive risk” to the Australian industry have been slammed as irresponsible and reckless by AUSVEG.

AUSVEG CEO Richard Mulcahy today said that an Inquiry held this morning by the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee is validation of concerns raised by AUSVEG about the biosecurity risks to the Australian potato industry of fresh p...

A bitter feud over plans to import potatoes from New Zealand is escalating, with growers accusing Australia's biosecurity body of fudging the science and lacking the knowledge to prevent a major pest outbreak.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) of the Australian Government has released a new statement on October 4 regarding the heavily contested proposal (e.g. by AUSVEG) regarding import of potatoes from New Zealand

A Senate Inquiry into the importation of fresh potatoes from New Zealand has been praised by the Australian horticulture industry. Last week, Senators Colbeck, Xenophon, Nash, Madigan and McKenzie moved that the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transpor...

Furious Tasmanian farmers have warned that the state's potato industry faces ruin if New Zealand imports are allowed.

A cartoon portraying Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard and senior ministers as children playing a video game has been launched by the potato industry as part of its war to block imports of New Zealand potatoes.

The public debate between AUSVEG and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) in Australia continues, with AUSVEG querying DAFF’s decision to go ahead with plans in light of South Korea’s decision to suspend imports of US potatoes due to concerns over zebra chip disease.