by Charlie McKillop and Marty McCarthy, abc news     Authorities say the latest possible detection is on a different property to the Tully Valley farm, owned by the Robson family, which has been under strict quarantine since March last year.   Last month, the banana industry agreed to increase grower levies to fund the purchase ofContinue Reading

by Courtney Fowler, abc news     The initiative, being coordinated by the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, is studying commercial varieties of jackfruit, rambutan and passionfruit.   Senior horticulturalist Mark Hoult said the emphasis of his research was on increasing production, improving fruit quality, consistency and newContinue Reading

by Daniel Fitzgerald, abc news     An early start to the wet season saw more than 100 millimetres fall over a few days in the main melon-growing regions around Katherine and Mataranka.   Mataranka melon grower Kane Younghusband said the rain was likely to prolong harvest for another few weeks.   “SomeContinue Reading

by Courtney Fowler, abc news     The collaborative research project between the Northern Territory and Queensland governments has seen 27 varieties of banana planted, looking for signs of tolerance or resistance to the disease.   Department of Primary Industries (DPI) director of plant industries Bob Williams said three months intoContinue Reading

by Carl Curtain, abc news     The Federal Department of Agriculture has released a draft report proposing the importation of dragon fruit from the South-East Asian country, provided quarantine and food safety measures are met.   The report identifies seven species of pests, fruit fly and mealybug, which would require risk managementContinue Reading