Listening to growers

Growers were at the centre of a decision to explore growing alternative crops on land with a confirmed detection of Panama TR4. Those farming with TR4, and many others who recognised their efforts in containing it, expressed concern about having productive land essentially ‘locked up.’ Under previous regulations, affected land could only be used to grow bananas. The Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) listened. Over the past year, ABGC’s Grower Support (Biosecurity) team has consulted widely with growers, technical experts and Biosecurity Queensland (BQ) to find a path forward. The result is an evidence-based, case-by-case framework that allows land to remain productive while keeping broader biosecurity safeguards in place. This framework involves a thorough, tailored risk assessment for any request and use of mitigation measures where appropriate.   

Grower input has been crucial to developing this framework, and to working through two initial requests which you can read about here. Knowledge of land, farming practices and local conditions is essential to ensuring these decisions are fit for purpose – for the growers affected and industry more broadly. In short: growers are crucial to shaping the way TR4 is managed – now and into the future. By combining their insight with science and policy, the option to grow alternative crops reflects both responsibility and resilience, keeping the future of bananas secure while giving growers new opportunities.