The Panama TR4 Board’s Transition to Industry Working Group recently met with specialists to discuss the legislative framework for industry’s management of Panama TR4. 

The Panama TR4 Program’s Transition to Industry Working Group are considering a range of legislative options for future disease management. The Group recently met with specialists to deliberate on key issues including ease of industry’s understanding of requirements and what elements of control and containment are essential for regulatory compliance. 

Opening the workshop was Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) Industry Transition Leader, Geoff Wilson who set the challenge to identify a framework that will manage the disease spread while being grower-centric, scalable, and flexible. 

The framework should also support a continued focus on surveillance and empower growers to protect from disease, as well as continue to operate with the disease. 

“We tested several scenarios against the biosecurity legislative tools available, to best support industry to take leadership in managing Panama TR4,” said Geoff. 

The Transition to Industry Working Group is chaired by ABGC CEO Jim Pekin with representatives from Biosecurity Queensland and ABGC.