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Video transcript - PIRSA fruit fly program

VOICE OVER:
Don’t let their small size fool you, fruit flies are a menace to fruit growers everywhere.

By laying their eggs in fruit, which then grow into maggots, fruit fly can cause financial hardship for commercial fruit growers and home gardeners alike.

SA remains the only mainland state free of fruit fly, and thanks to an active awareness campaign, PIRSA aims to keep it that way.

MANAGER, FOOD & PLANT STANDARDS, GEOFF RAVEN:
Our horticulture industry is worth $480 million, and its important particularly for our export markets to keep fruit fly out of South Australia.

VOICEOVER:
The Plant Health Operations team leaves no stone unturned when it comes to keeping fruit fly out of SA.

There’s no room for complacency with road blocks stationed at the four main entry points into the State and signage along all major highways.

And with fruit disposal bins on roadsides and major transport centres, and sniffer dogs at the airport, strategies are in place to stop people bringing fruit into SA.

MANAGER, FOOD & PLANT STANDARDS, GEOFF RAVEN:
One of the main strategies is the community awareness campaign, and what we’re trying to do is change people’s behaviour and understanding of fruit fly and what it presents to our horticulture sector.

VOICEOVER:
The fight doesn’t end there. More than 4000 fruit fly traps are set up across the state, not to mention the risk of fines for people caught bringing fruit into the state illegally.

MANAGER, FOOD & PLANT STANDARDS, GEOFF RAVEN:
If people are travelling with fruit across state borders, they risk expiation fines of up to $360 and into the Riverland, fines up to $2000, so taking fruit and vegetables into the Riverland, they need to take receipts with them.

VOICEOVER:
And it appears the hard work is paying off. Over the past six seasons SA has recorded no more than two outbreaks per year and some of these seasons have been entirely fruit fly free.

So if you are travelling into SA with fruit, be sure to stop at our borders, stop at our bins, stop at our road blocks and eat it, bin it or declare it.

<ENDS>