Adelaide Hills fig orchard Willabrand Australia has posted vision on their social media calling out the nature of restrictions regarding the early 2025 fruit fly outbreak. 

Willa Wauchope of Willabrand and Glen Ewin Estate is looking for support for local producers and farmers to get through this tough period for fresh produce.

An outbreak of Queensland fruit fly was confirmed in Glynde, a suburb in Adelaide’s northeast in late January. Despite the outbreak’s metropolitan origins, the effects have been felt by local regional producers particularly in the Adelaide Hills.

Despite no fruit fly outbreak in the area, PIRSA restrictions have prevented Willabrand and other Adelaide Hills producers from distributing their produce as usual. Without compensation or support, producers are left in dismay, facing a significant loss of income until at least mid-May.

Here’s what Willa Wauchope of Willabrand Australia had to say:

“Good morning everybody, my name is Willa Wauchope from Willabrand Australia. We’ve been growing figs in the Adelaide Hills for 35 years on a property that’s 180 years old. I wanted to give an update on the effect of the fruit fly outbreak that’s in the city on our business.”

“We’re currently three weeks into our harvest and our typical way of picking is to share our produce with the public in a pick-your-own manner. We moved to that model because for us with our spray-free produce, it’s the best way of sharing the produce at a fair price for the community.”

“We’ve produced approximately 40 tonnes of fruit for the three weeks that we’ve already had of the season. The produce has dropped on the ground.”

“The fruit fly outbreak is a catastrophic failure of the system to support farmers and primary producers in the Adelaide Hills regions who are on the outskirts of this yellow zone. We’re just metres from the green zone, yet we’re not allowed to sell any of our fruit off the property.”

“For us it’s a total disaster. We’re seeking to share our story. The impact of the fruit fly outbreak on our business and the other primary producers who are affected by it.”

“We’re looking for support from the public for the products we can make from our produce and we’re looking for some kind of support from the government to see what they can do to change this situation for us.”

“We have grown some of the best fruit that we have ever grown this year and it is terrible that we have to see it go to waste and drop on the ground. It is grossly unfair that the government has the power to shut down our business without offering us a handshake on the other side and some kind of support.”

Willabrand isn’t the only one hit, with Adelaide Hills Berry Farm having to lay off at least a dozen casual employees as it takes up to a three-quarter of a million dollar loss. The farm has also been caught right on the edge of the green zone on Swamp Rd, Uraidla.

To support Willabrand Australia, visit their website. There are still plenty of products you can purchase from Willabrand Australia and Glen Ewin Estate as they look to be able to sell produce off the property in the near future.

Source - https://glamadelaide.com.au