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Entire citrus orchard may be razed
13 Jul 2004
All 250,000 citrus trees on Evergreen Farm, the central Queensland orchard affected by citrus canker, may have to be destroyed. Officials will today begin the destruction of 8,000 trees that have been sprayed with poison: they will be cut up and burned. A State Government spokesman said that he expected 100,000 trees would have to go but it may well be every tree on Evergreen Farm. The disease was not confined to the original plot, and authorities have committed $2 million to wiping out the citrus canker on the farm.
The disease discovery has shut down harvesting mainly of murcott mandarins on other Emerald farms and orchards around Gayndah and Mundubbera. Interstate markets will soon re-open to citrus from other areas, including the Atherton Tableland.
Yesterday, State Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk accused Evergreen Farm's owner, which has Filipino connections, of not co-operating with the destruction of the trees.
The Courier-Mail, 13/7/04.
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