Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort Innovation) was last week successful in securing a AUD$1.65 million (US$1.25 million) grant to strengthen the industry’s fight against fruit fly, which is said to be 'stifling' exports.

Awarded through the Australian Government Rural Research and Development for Profit program, the grant will facilitate a five-year program that aims to erase trade partners’ concerns about Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Medfly).

Hort Innovation CEO John Lloyd said the funding complemented a further AUD$3.4 million (US$2.5 million) toward the project from Hort Innovation, Murdoch University and research partners.

"This hard-fought Rural Research and Development for Profit program grant is a win for the AUD$9 billion (US$6.7 billion) Australian horticulture industry as it will help open up access to trade partner countries that have stringent Medfly requirements," he said.

Lloyd said countries like Japan and China required evidence that postharvest treatments had worked to control the Medfly risk before agreeing to accept imports.

A dedicated facility in Western Australia conducted such treatments until it closed in 2015, and as part of this project a state-of-the-art laboratory at Murdoch University will be equipped to continue that work.

As part of the project, researchers will also develop 'data packages' for key export commodities which will involve a series of trials using treatments to convey clear patterns in results.

They will also develop new technologies to help treat produce prior to export and identify treatments that could become standard protocols for use by produce exporters.

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