Month: May 2015

Successfully growing bananas in spite of Fusarium wilt Panama disease is already a part of everyday operations for many banana growers, including the finalists at the most recent Farmer of the Year awards. East Palmerston growers Shannon Paton and partner Sarah Schultz and Walkamin’s Michael…

Banana growers have jumped at the chance to take advantage of the final round of Reef Water Quality Grants on offer. A total of 40 formal applications were lodged for Round 8 – the final round of reef projects to gain funding assistance from the…

Shannon Paton has already been nationally recognised for his and partner Sarah’s efforts to keep Panama race 1 off their East Palmerston farm. Now, as the president of the Cassowary Coast Banana Growers’ Association and Biosecurity Farmer of the Year, Shannon is assisting other growers…

The cost of the biosecurity response to TR4 has topped $2 million, according to a Queensland Government estimate. Queensland Agriculture Minister Bill Byrne said on April 27: “The Palaszczuk Government said from the outset that it would do everything possible to prevent Panama disease from…

Michael & Lisa Lankester grow 60 hectares of Lady Finger bananas and five hectares of trellised custard apples at Walkamin. The Lankesters took a number of steps to keep out Race 1 Panama disease, which was detected on a nearby Lady Finger farm not long…

Australian Bananas’ new three-year marketing campaign will soon be launched. Horticulture Innovation Australia General Manager, Marketing Services David Chenu is overseeing the strategy and talks about what’s been achieved so far and what to expect next. Tell us about the work that’s happening to develop…

The North Queensland cane industry has taken immediate action to minimise any risks posed to banana farms from cane operations following the detection of the soil-borne banana plant disease Panama Tropical Race 4 (TR4) on a Tully Valley banana farm. Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC)…