Category: News & Media

A grower kit, farm gate biosecurity signage and shed posters are among materials being supplied to North Queensland growers as part of the response to banana plant disease Panama Tropical Race 4 (TR4). The Australian and Queensland Governments have funded the materials as part of…

Banana growers have been asked for their ideas on the industry’s hot research topics as part of preparations for the national banana roadshow, set to roll out across three States in June and July. The industry’s National Banana Development and Extension Program is hosting the…

Banana plant destruction methods to be used for any future detections of Panama TR4 would be considered on a “case-by-case” basis, Biosecurity Queensland (BQ) said. At time of writing, in March 2016, the first TR4 infested property has had detections of the disease on five…

For Innisfail local Rebecca Sapuppo, leading the TR4 Program is more than just a job. Rebecca talks about what motivates her and the Program’s team. For more than a decade, Rebecca Sapuppo has been part of Biosecurity Queensland’s (BQ’s) efforts to manage the plant pests…

East Palmerston banana growers Craig and Jade Buchanan have won an Australian Reef Program award for their environmental farming practices. The prestigious national award was presented in September at a Sunshine Coast ceremony honouring primary producers for their work in reducing off-farm impacts on the…

 As many growers make the switch to 15kg cartons, an industry project has run a shed-to-shelf test of the one-piece versions. Rhyll Cronin reports. A new trial has found one-piece 15kg cartons may be the most cost-effective way to transport bananas and could help reduce…

Six months after the March confirmation that TR4 is present in Australia’s major banana-growing region, efforts to combat the banana plant disease are moving from the emergency phase into a longer-term managed response. As part of the transition, occurring in September, response manager Biosecurity Queensland…