Published on Feb 03, 2022
As students begin returning to school, most Adelaide households can once again pack the full range of fresh fruit and vegetables in lunchboxes thanks to fruit fly restrictions easing across the state.
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister David Basham said the news comes as some relief to families who have dealt with fruit fly restrictions for up to two years and are now navigating a different start to the school year.
“In December we were able to lift most fruit fly restrictions across South Australia which means many families can go back to packing a range of fresh fruit and vegetables in lunch boxes for the start of the 2022 school year,” Minister Basham said.
“I encourage parents and students to once again fill lunchboxes with a range of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially our fantastic South Australian produce like Adelaide Hills new season apples and Riverland peaches and nectarines.
“Our two-year, $68 million program to fight fruit fly has been successful thanks to families and communities supporting the government’s response by reporting maggots, complying with fruit movement restrictions, and managing their gardens well.
“We are still fighting an outbreak at Ridleyton in the city and in the Riverland so if you live in these areas please head to our dedicated fruit fly website and check the maps.
“Families in these areas need to continue packing fruit and vegetables that are not restricted, such as delicious South Australian rockmelon, other melon or pineapple, snowpeas or cucumber, or alternatively source fruit from the school canteen.
“The fruit fly website includes a hub of recipe ideas to help families prepare fruit and vegetables for safely packing in lunchboxes.
“Fruit fly outbreaks have had a significant impact on thousands of local businesses in South Australia’s $1.3 billion horticultural industry at risk from fruit fly over the last couple of years.
“We must all continue playing a part in protecting local jobs and locally grown produce.
“Please continue to support fruit fly prevention in South Australia, and find out what you need to do from the fruit fly website.”
Restrictions due to Queensland fruit fly continue around the Ridleyton area until 22 February 2022, and around Pike River and Renmark West in the Riverland until 13 March 2022, as long as there are no further detections.
For more information, visit www.fruitfly.sa.gov.au
