Biosecurity officials give up trying to contain a catastrophic plant fungus in Tasmania — and this farmer says it will be disastrous for his organic blueberry business.
Biosecurity Tasmania officials have given up trying to contain the plant fungus blueberry rust — saying "the benefits of containment no longer outweigh the burdens."The fungal disease causes extensive defoliation and can kill plants with severe infectionsListing it as endemic means restrictions on infected properties will be removed and farmers will have to live with, and manage it
"The containment approach that we've been undertaking for the past few years clearly isn't working anymore," said chief plant protection officer Andrew Bishop. Organic blueberry farmer Kent Mainwaring is one of those that will lose a market that gave them a premium price. Fruit Growers Tasmania's chief executive officer Peter Cornish said those farms infected with blueberry rust were under strict conditions that were affecting their business and it was time to admit defeat.
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