Pick and collect trial to strengthen Riverland fruit fly response

Riverland residents in high-risk fruit fly outbreak areas can help protect South Australia's $1.58 billion horticulture industry, as part of a new Pick and Collect trial program.

From today, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) will provide environmentally friendly biodegradable bags and ties to non-commercial residential properties in selected active Riverland outbreak areas as part of a three-month trial.

The new initiative will make it easier for residents to safely dispose of unwanted home-grown fruit and fruiting vegetables, helping to remove potential breeding sites for Queensland fruit fly and support ongoing fruit fly response efforts.

The Pick and Collect program will operate in selected Riverland outbreak areas where detections are most likely, based on evidence from previous seasons.

These areas include: Barmera, Berri, Bookpurnong, Chaffey, Cooltong, Glossop, Loveday, Lyrup, Monash, Monash North, Murtho, Paringa, Pike River, Renmark, Renmark North, Renmark South, Renmark West, and Winkie.

Residents in these areas can place unwanted fruit and fruiting vegetables into the biodegradable bags supplied by PIRSA. Once the bags are half-full, they should be sealed using the provided biodegradable ties.

PIRSA field teams will collect these bags during scheduled visits and replace them with fresh ones.

Following the spring and summer trial period, the program will be reviewed as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the state’s fruit fly response.

The Pick and Collect program complements the Malinauskas Government’s broader fruit fly response, which includes surveillance, trapping, baiting, property inspections and the sterile insect technique.