On Tuesday, the 20th of October 2015, a National Fruit Fly Council was announced its establishment. Its job? To help fight the war between horticulture and this pest.
The council is made up of members from all levels of government and vary from all different industry. Some organisations supporting this new council include Plant Health Australia and Horticulture Innovation Australia (HIA). Structurally, HIA have approved funding for the three-year commitment, supplementing funds contributed by the Australian Government and state and territory governments.
In recent year, controlling the infestation of fruit flies have become difficult with some common chemical controls have been removed as options for farmers. This new initiative will hopefully find new ways for fending off the fruit flies that cost an estimated $4.8 billion of damage to Australian fruit and vegetable crops each year.
If you are a producer, do you need to look into what councils might help you control the pests that have been affecting your crops? Do you need to check if the chemicals you are using to prevent pests are legal to use?
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