bananafarming

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In north Queensland, the Cassowary Coast region, including Tully and Innisfail is the major banana-growing region – not only for north Queensland but for all Australia. Other major growing areas are the Atherton Tablelands and Lakeland. The first banana plantations were started by the Chinese migrants working on the goldfields. In the Tully area, bananas were shipped to market via the Tully River and, in Innisfail, on the South Johnstone River. The trade in north Queensland bananas stopped during World War I when there were restrictions on local shipping and outbreaks of plant disease. The banana industry re-established in the area at the end of World War II in 1945. Stan MacKay and a number of other growers began farming in the Mission Beach area near Tully. Bananas were packed in 40kg wooden boxes and transported to market by rail up until the 1960s when road transport was introduced. Today bananas are packed in cardboard cartons and transported by both road and rail in refrigerated containers. The industry has grown substantially and the total farm area producing bananas in north Queensland in 2016 was 11,800 hectares. Source: abgc.org.au/our-industry/tropical-bananas/

Bunchy top of bananas in Australia Bunchy top disease threatened the banana industry in Australia in the l92Os. The virus that causes bunchy top is thought to have been introduced from Fiji in infected suckers in 1913. In Lg22 banana production in New South Wales was 433,OOO cases from about 2,226 hectares. In 1925 production had fallen to 60,000 cases and the area planted to bananas had fallen to 607 hectares due to the effects of bunchy top. It was not until the means of spread of the virus was established that the banana industry recovered. The virus was shown to be transmitted in infected planting material and by the banana aphid. In 1927, government legislation was passed that quarantined certain areas where the disease occurred and restricted movement of banana plants from these areas. This prevented the spread of the disease to new areas. This, combined with the destruction of diseased plants, enabled the banana industry to recover from the effects of the bunchy top epidemic. Source: PLANT PATHOLOGY: AN OVERVIEW John Brown www.appsnet.org/Publications/Brown_Ogle/01%20Plant%20Path...(JFB).pdf