New report highlights Xylella risk
The importance of biosecurity for the Australian wine sector has been highlighted in a recent Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resources Economics and Sciences (ABARES) report assessing the impact that an incursion of Xylella fastidiosa (the organism responsible for Pierces Disease) could have.
If a Xylella incursion were to hit Australia ABARES estimates it could cost up to $7.9 billion over 50 years.
Xylella fastidiosa is one of the most devastating plant pests. The ABARES report states that is causes more than $100 million in yearly losses to the Californian grape sector.
While Xylella has no treatment, if an incursion was contained to one region, the aggregate impact would be a fraction of the impact of an uncontrolled spread.
In late 2015, Australia introduced emergency biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of an incursion. These include offshore testing of nursery stock and plant material coming from regions where Xylella fastidiosa occurs and certification that material is free from the bacteria before it arrives in Australia.
In a media release about the report, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, the Hon Luke Hartsuyker, said ‘Australia has a strong biosecurity system that manages the risk of plant pests and diseases arriving here. This includes measures offshore, onshore and at the border, as well as strict import conditions for plant material.
‘If certain pests or diseases were to arrive in Australia, it could significantly impact on the productivity and sustainability of some of our most important industries, along with inhabiting access to overseas markets.’
The report highlights a number of important issues relating to the risk that this poses to Australia. This includes the likelihood of Australia’s habitat being highly suitable for an incursion of Xylella.
International experience suggests that successful eradication of Xylella is unlikely, therefore it is critical that the Australian grape and wine community support strict biosecurity protocols to support its future.
The Economic impacts of Xylella fastidiosa on the Australian wine grape and wine-making industries report can be downloaded from the ABARES website.