Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator the Hon Murray Watt
Victorian Minister for Agriculture, The Hon Ros Spence MP
Victoria's fruit and veg sector will benefit from up to $5.3 million from the Albanese Government to boost the State's fruit fly defences and safeguard international trade opportunities.
The investment will double the irradiation capacity at the Steritech irradiation facility in Melbourne's north, delivering increased dual X-ray irradiator systems to kill off fruit-spoiling insects, larvae, and bacteria.
Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Murray Watt, said the expansion will help safeguard Australian horticulture's position in overseas markets by ensuring fresh produce is always export-ready.
"Strengthening our biosecurity protections is one of the Albanese Government's key priorities for our agriculture sector, and expanding irradiation facilities means more Aussie fruit will reach more consumers around the world," Minister Watt said.
"Current forecasts from ABARES indicate that Australia is set to produce over $17 billion of horticulture next financial year, and roughly half of it is susceptible to fruit fly. It's important we support the sector to strengthen their resilience against the pest and assist in getting product to market.
"Helping protect the horticulture sector from fruit fly impacts reduces costs throughout the supply chain from growers right through to the supermarket shelf."
Victorian Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence said Victoria is a leader in using irradiation technology for modern biosecurity treatment of fresh produce.
"The existing X-ray facility in Melbourne services over 80 Australian fresh produce crops that are exported to markets like New Zealand and Vietnam," she said.
"By adding capacity we will boost trade security for the horticultural industry and increase the availability and affordability of fresh Aussie-grown produce, on dinner plates around the world."
This funding is being delivered under the $30 million Building Resilience to Manage Fruit Fly program, which aims to support our horticulture industries and regional communities fight back against the ongoing impacts of fruit flies.
