‘No longer feasible’ to eradicate tomato brown rugose fruit virus as efforts turn to management

Government bureaucrats and farmers have given up hope of eradicating a highly-contagious virus affecting tomatoes and capsicums, instead turning their focus to “long-term management”.

WA is free of tomato brown rugose fruit virus, which was detected in greenhouse-grown tomatoes in South Australia in August 2024 sparking a rapid biosecurity response.

The virus can cause yield losses of up to 70 per cent and reduce marketable fruit yield by up to 15 per cent, easily overcoming resistance genes in tomato and capsicum plants.

Symptoms include pale or yellow, mosaic and mottled leaves, rotten-looking spots on the flower stalk, fruit with yellow or brown wrinkled spots, or deformed fruit.

A national management group — set up to consolidate efforts — announced last week its focus would turn to long-term management rather than eradication as its prevalence increased.

In a statement, the group said there had been “growing evidence” of seed-borne introductions, undetectable low-level infections, which had posed issues for eradication efforts.

“It is no longer technically feasible to eradicate tomato brown rugose fruit virus from Australia,” the statement said.

“This decision is based on the technical considerations of the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests and engagement with production nursery, capsicum, processing and fresh tomato industries on the potential to manage the pest.”

Industry and governments are now scrambling to determine how to support farmers to manage and reduce the impacts of the virus, which affects fresh tomato growers and production nurseries.

Greenlife Industry Australia research director John McDonald said the shift was necessary but has called for “urgent clarity” on plant and product movements to avoid supply chain disruption.

“We welcome the move to long-term management, but decisions on plant and product movement must follow quickly,” he said.

“Clarity is urgently needed to avoid prolonged disruption across the nursery production and tomato supply chains.

“GIA is advocating for evidence-based, technically justified, cost-effective solutions that support both containment and continuity of trade.

“The virus is effectively managed internationally by industry across all major continents which we can rapidly take learnings from and apply in Australia.”

WA slapped a ban on South Australian tomatoes late last year after the discovery of the virus authorities say likely entered the country via infected seeds.

Impacted businesses can expect continued biosecurity controls at infected sites, no mandatory destruction of plant material, national co-ordination of trade and movement protocols, and the potential development of a transition to management plan.