Month: September 2020

The third generation of Mackay banana growers from left – Barrie, Stephen, Daniel, Cameron and Gavin – currently lead the family’s farming enterprise. By Lea Coghlan STANLEY’S LEGACY When Stanley Mackay established a company to run his banana farm in Tully, Far North Queensland, 75 years ago,…

Panama TR4 Program engagement officer, Rebeca Breaden, delivering a Panama Ed session to SES volunteers in Innisfail before the COVID-19 health pandemic. By Sarah Flenley, Biosecurity Queensland’s Panama TR4 ProgramHow will BQ’s engagement team keep Panama TR4 front and centre in people’s minds over the…

Panama TR4 continues to spread slowly in the Tully Valley, but escalation of the disease is always a constant threat. The number of plants confirmed with TR4, and the number of sites where these plants have been destroyed on infested farms (destruction sites), is increasing as…

When the COVID-19 health pandemic took hold earlier this year, the Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) moved swiftly to ensure growers were kept abreast of the rapidly changing environment, which had the potential to seriously impact farms. A key feature of the ABGC’s COVID-19 communication activities…

Water-logged land on a Tully banana farm has been transformed into a water quality treatment wetland which is starting to show promising results. Innisfail banana grower Patrick Leahy has developed a water quality treatment wetland on his farm in partnership with the Wet Tropics Major…

Growers who employ seasonal workers, including visa holders, must have a health management plan in place to manage the risk of COVID-19. The Seasonal Workers Health Management Plan Direction came into effect on 5 May 2020, and states – “Workplace health management plans are mandatory for…

Learnings from the study have resulted in a new poster for packing sheds to help growers identify common quality issues. The outcome of a NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) study into why subtropical bananas may be rejected at retail outlets has led to the development…