ACT Biosecurity has declared citrus products from the Northern Territory to be at risk of carrying citrus canker and has banned them from entering the ACT.
Senior Manager at ACT Biosecurity, Stephen Hughes said citrus canker was found in West Indian lime plants being sold in two Darwin retail outlets in early April.
“Citrus canker is a serious disease that severely impacts fruit quality and yield, sometimes leading to tree death,” Mr Hughes said.
“A declaration has been put in place to restrict the import of citrus canker carriers from the Northern Territory into the ACT while a national eradication program is considered.”
He said citrus canker carriers included all citrus plants and their fruit and leaves, and any soil, packaging, equipment and machinery that had come into contact with citrus plants.
“The declaration aligns with movement restrictions already established for citrus canker carriers by the NSW Department of Primary Industries,” Mr Hughes said.
“We’ve made the declaration to protect our home citrus growers in the Canberra region and the significant citrus industry in NSW.”
He said the Northern Territory was not a significant commercial producer of citrus and the declaration was expected to have minimal impact on ACT fruit and horticultural businesses.
