Tomato growers on red alert for tomato brown rugose fruit virus: A cure worse than the disease

Australia’s tomato growers are seeing red. They’re on high alert for any small sign – mottling of leaves or marbling of fruit – which might indicate the presence of a disease now rife globally, known as Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (“ToBRFV”).

But growers aren’t so much on edge about the disease itself, which has been managed overseas for more than 10 years now. It is also of no danger to humans and only affects the way tomatoes look.

Rather, growers are afraid of the whirlwind of government-sanctioned destruction that will be visited on them if the diseased is detected on their farms.

No one in the industry wants to follow the suffering of growers in South Australia and Victoria, whose crops have been decimated under a mandatory eradication response since ToBRFV was first reported in Australia last year.

The condition was first discovered in Israel and Jordan 10 years ago and is now present all over the world.

But in Australia, the real scourge is not the virus. It’s the extreme biosecurity response, which has literally been worse than the disease.

Indeed, in Australia, not a single tomato plant has been lost to the virus itself.

Rather, all the losses here are due to the eradication measures, resulting in millions of dollars of lost revenue, destroyed millions of perfectly healthy plants, as well as seeing thousands of farm workers lose their jobs and livelihoods.

Shortages of tomatoes on supermarket shelves could emerge, if this policy continues and more outbreaks occur, which they surely will.

State and federal governments are pursing eradication in the name of keeping Australia totally free from ToBRFV.

The problem is that Australia depends on imported seeds for its horticultural industry. Not every imported seed shipment can be checked by authorities (only about 20 percent are at present) so the disease is bound to reappear.

The virus has many different possible sources and can be borne by people, animals, machinery, seeds and weeds. Even illicit tobacco can be a vector for ToBRFV.

While it is easy to transmit, the good news is that the experience overseas shows that the disease is also relatively easy to manage. Grower experience in the US, UK and EU shows that yields and the supply of high-quality tomatoes to consumers can be maintained, without the need to resort to excessive destruction measures, using proven horticultural management techniques.

Australia’s tomato growers already manage plant pests and diseases on a daily basis, and they have extensive experience doing so.

Afterall, it’s their job. Growing vegetable crops is a deeply fulfilling and productive endeavour, about which horticulturalists care deeply – something about which home gardeners might also be able to relate.

Protected cropping environments like greenhouses – where most of Australia’s gourmet and truss tomatoes are grown – can also help contain plant diseases.

Australian authorities, however, seem out of touch with best practice for managing ToBRFV, and don’t sufficiently respect grower capability.

Instead, our authorities seem hell-bent on destruction and causing consumer shortages – amid a cost-of-living crisis.

Just as there are egg shortages, consumers may soon see a shortage of tomatoes.

The response raises questions about aspects of Australia’s domestic biosecurity approach. Make no mistake, Australia’s import quarantine and inspection system is excellent, a well-established and respected part of Australia’s policy DNA.

Our biosecurity officials and the Australian Border Force work tirelessly and conscientiously to keep exotic pests out of the country and protect Australia’s unique biodiversity.

Nevertheless, at the domestic level, it’s delusional to imagine that wholesale destruction of crops will always keep Australia free from international plant diseases.

Destroying valuable crops did nothing to prevent repeated outbreaks of ToBRFV.

Repeating the destruction every time the disease recurs is unsustainable – and mad.

It took too long for the Australian Government to move from an “eradication” approach to one of “management” in the case of varroa mite affecting honeybees.

Lessons need to be drawn from that episode, and now from the repeated, forced destruction of tomato crops.

What’s at stake also is the good reputation of Australia’s biosecurity system among industry and consumers.

We all recall the episode with Johnny Depp’s dogs, Pistol and Boo. What’s happening today is far more serious, inflicting tens of millions of dollars in losses on protected cropping growers.

Of course, it’s desirable for Australia to remain free of exotic plant pests, but that can’t be guaranteed once a virus is already on our shores and in a country that must import seeds to feed its population.

We need to focus on managing the situation, not chasing unachievable goals and devastating growers in the process.

There are always a range of costs and benefits in any biosecurity response, which is why our organisation, Protected Cropping Australia, representing some $370 million in tomato output annually, is calling for a thorough formal review of the biosecurity response by the Australian Government.

We want to see more rigorous, and publicly documented, accountability for biosecurity decision-making and, fundamentally, a more balanced approach.

Our industry needs protecting from the destruction, and the expertise, good judgement and self-interest of our growers need to be valued and respected.

Otherwise, it’s quite likely Australian consumers will also soon start seeing “red”, ironically as tomatoes disappear from supermarket shelves.

Andrew Tout, Chair, Protected Cropping Australia

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/protected-cropping-australia-ltd_tobrfv-pca-is-calling-for-urgent-action-activity-7323135973398130688-yjnJ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAACXvBcMBWdObewkE3V3jmvWHt9u5W0SVst0

Grower2Grower Response: By Stefan Vogrincic

I wrote in an article two weeks ago – “If I were an Australian tomato grower, I too would want this reclassification to happen”.  In the same article I wrote  “Whatever path Australia chooses the implications for New Zealand growers are significant — especially for those still fighting to eradicate Pepino Mosaic Virus (PepMV) on their properties. A dual outbreak of ToBRFV and PepMV would be potentially devastating, particularly as New Zealand still lacks approval for a PepMV inoculant.”.

In the above post from Andrew Tout, Chair, Protected Cropping Australia, I have sympathy with how frustrating the current eradication policy must be, however – one sentence in the letter, as a New Zealand grower I would take caution with ‘While it is easy to transmit, the good news is that the experience overseas shows that the disease is also relatively easy to manage’

Just last year South American growers were very honest in the losses suffered from ToBRFV see article:   https://www.grower2grower.co.nz/excellent-online-webinar-hosted-by-de-ruiter-bayer-australia/

During a recent visit to New Zealand this year from Ivan Casteels of Roam Technology, he gave a superb presentation of hygiene measures required to reduce the impacts of ToBRFV.  This is what I believe to be key to managing the virus and the impacts on each individual site. https://www.grower2grower.co.nz/roam-presentation-on-hygiene-protocols-for-greenhouses-and-biosecurity-pukekohe-new-zealand/

A new report indicated: ‘Investigations at the NSW production nursery are underway.’ This may indicate ToBRFV has spread in Australia.  Unfortunately, it may just be a matter of time before it jumps across the Tasman, until then every effort needs to be maintained to help prevent ToBRFV entering NZ (for as long as possible).

For any information or advice on this topic please email stefan@grower2grower.co.nz