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Mango industry on high alert
Australia
Tuesday 26 February 2008
A fungal disease found at a research farm in Darwin has put the Territory's mango industry on high alert.
It's the first time the disease has been found on a tree in Australia, raising concerns for the multi-million dollar industry.
Peter Delis, president of the Australian Mango Association, says the mango industry's confident the disease, which is transmitted by a tiny mite, has not spread to nearby orchards.
He says the disease is prevalent in many other countries, so he hopes it won't be a major problem.
"The belief is, that it's not going to be a problem, particularly because it's only been found on one tree" he says.
"We've done a survey in the surrounding one kilometre radius and didn't find it anywhere else. That tree and surrounding trees have been removed, so for all intense and purposes the industry's working towards declaring this thing eradicated and as part of that process we're looking at beginning a surveillance program".
It's the first time the disease has been found on a tree in Australia, raising concerns for the multi-million dollar industry.
Peter Delis, president of the Australian Mango Association, says the mango industry's confident the disease, which is transmitted by a tiny mite, has not spread to nearby orchards.
He says the disease is prevalent in many other countries, so he hopes it won't be a major problem.
"The belief is, that it's not going to be a problem, particularly because it's only been found on one tree" he says.
"We've done a survey in the surrounding one kilometre radius and didn't find it anywhere else. That tree and surrounding trees have been removed, so for all intense and purposes the industry's working towards declaring this thing eradicated and as part of that process we're looking at beginning a surveillance program".
