BANANAS AND TR4

PANAMA TR4 PROGRAM TRANSITION MEETINGS HAPPENING THROUGH MARCH ........ All growers are invited to attend any of the below meetings to discuss the 2023 transition of Biosecurity Queensland’s Panama TR4 Program to the ABGC. The meetings are being hosted by ABGC across the following locations:........ • INNISFAIL: Thursday 3 March, 10am at Queens Hotel*........ • MISSION BEACH: Friday 4 March, 1pm at Mission Beach Resort*........ • TULLY: Thursday 10 March, 10am at Tully Leagues Club*........ • SOUTH JOHNSTONE: Friday 11 March, 1pm at DAF Research Centre ........ • MAREEBA: Thursday 17 March, 10am at DAF Mareeba ........ • SILKWOOD: Friday 18 March, 1pm at the Silkwood Hotel* ........ • BABINDA: Thursday 24 March, 10am at Babinda Taskforce community centre ........ (* Requires proof of vaccination to attend.)........RSVP TO: https://www.panamatr4protect.com.au/rsvp If you’re unable to attend any of the above meetings but still wish to have your say on the future management of TR4, contact Geoff Wilson on 0418 644 068 or email geoff@abgc.org.au.

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Have your say on the future management of Panama TR4 ........ Since Queensland’s first detection of Panama TR4 in March 2015, the Panama TR4 Program has worked closely with the ABGC to control and contain the disease. ........ The Queensland Government has invested almost $42 million in the fight against Panama TR4 to June 2023, beyond which time industry will take leadership of the TR4 Program. ........ Through the ABGC, industry has been co-funding the Panama TR4 Program since 2019, and in 2020 a Program Management Board was established to jointly fund, deliver and govern the strategic direction of the Program. ........ In a presentation at Congress earlier this month, ABGC CEO Jim Pekin put forth an invitation to growers to have their say on the future management of Panama TR4. ........ “Beyond 2023, what the Panama TR4 Program looks like will depend on what industry wants, what is achievable within budget, and where the disease has spread to by that stage,” Jim said. ........ An Industry Transition Leader, Geoff Wilson, has been appointed by the ABGC to work with growers and the TR4 Program on planning for future management of the disease. In doing so, Geoff is seeking input to understand where the focus areas should be within this framework. ........ All growers are encouraged to have their say by contacting Geoff or filling out an online feedback form. Geoff can be reached on 0418 644 068 or geoff@abgc.org.au.