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Weeds threaten to choke the economy
18 May 2004
Weeds are costing Australia $4 billion a year, according to a University of New England report. Introduced plants have slashed production in rural industries, particularly beef, wheat and wool, with the cumulative cost assessed at $1 out of every $7 Australia's farmers earn in exports. The cost has doubled over the past 20 years.
Blackberries cover 9 per cent of Australia and parkinsonia covers about 12.4 per cent in the semi-arid rangelands of northwest Queensland and northern Australia. Beef producers are losing $900 million each year because their cattle can't graze pastures choked with weeds. Wheat growers have to pay $700 million every year to control weeds on their cropping lands.
The annual losses range between $3.4 billion and $4.4 billion, which is about 0.5 per cent of Australia's gross domestic product, UNE says. The Weeds Co-operative Research Centre commissioned the study, and called on federal and state governments to contribute to a long-term program to get rid of the worst weeds.
The Courier-Mail, 18/5/04.
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