The Tasmanian Government is calling on Victoria to explain how it allowed diseased blueberry plants to be shipped south, as it culls two commercial farms' blueberry plants.

Tasmanian Agriculture Minister Jeremy Rockliff said he had written to his Victorian counterpart asking for full disclosure about why Victoria certified rust-infested blueberry plants disease-free.

The rust came into Tasmania on blueberry plants propagated in Queensland and shipped through Victoria to a major retailer of plants.

Biosecurity Tasmania has found the disease on 41 properties so far and has removed all blueberry bushes on affected farms, in a bid to eradicate the infection before it causes significant impacts on the state's berry industries.

Mr Rockliff said Tasmania is currently footing the entire bill for the blueberry disease surveillance and eradication. He said the full cost was yet to be quantified and he was seeking answers from Victoria that ensure there were no further quarantine breaches.

Hundreds of blueberry bushes removed on two commercial farms

In the past week, the cull included hundreds of the blueberry plants on two north-west Tasmanian farms.

The family-owned Mountain Fruit Berry Farm at Barrington called on the Tasmanian Government to find out who was accountable for the incursion. But Mountain Fruit Berry Farm owner, Ronald Schwind, thought the eradication program has gone too far.

Mr Schwind said the destruction of his blueberry plants this week would cost him about $16,000 in fruit sales each year, and it was taking an emotional toll.

Source - http://www.freshplaza.com