Australia: WA spuds set for all-clear to head east again

The tomato potato psyllid was detected in WA 18 months ago, causing Eastern States markets to shut their doors to WA potatoes, a move estimated to have cost local growers tens of millions of dollars.

Other industries, including strawberries and capsicum, were also affected.

While it has been accepted the psyllid itself cannot be eradicated, WA has met surveillance requirements to demonstrate the absence of the bacteria known as CLso in WA, meaning other States can reopen their borders to the State’s potatoes.

To achieve an area freedom certificate, Department of Primary Industries officers tested more than 10,000 psyllids and almost 12,000 host plants over three growing seasons.

Up to 300 staff worked on the surveillance program at its peak.

Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan will announce the development at the opening of the annual WA Horticultural Updates in Perth today.

“The other States will now have to review their interstate movement restrictions, which could take some time, but we expect by the end of the year, or even sooner, WA potatoes will again be going to the Eastern States,” she said.

Albany grower Colin Ayres estimated the problem cost his business more than $2 million, after he found there was no market for perfectly good seed potatoes. He halved his plantings the following season.

Mr Ayres, who is president of the WA Seed Potato Growers Association, said he would start building up production, with annual planting due to start next week and run until Christmas.

He said it would not be a quick recovery. It would take up to three years to multiply enough tubers to reach full-scale production, he said.

The closure of eastern markets meant WA growers were forced to plough good potatoes into the ground or feed them to livestock.

At the same time, prices plummeted for potatoes sold locally.

The WA Potato Growers Association said the psyllid incursion was a major contributing factor towards nine growers leaving the industry since February last year.