How Indonesian Farmers Help Australia's Citrus Industry

ABC Rural

Topic: Plant Diseases

Javanese farmers Wardi and Nurofik are in a research project.

In short:

An Australian project in Indonesia helps farmers stop a bad citrus disease from spreading to Australia.

Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease, has hurt citrus crops worldwide.

What's next?

Researchers want to find and grow citrus trees that can resist the disease and help Indonesian farmers.

Ika Afifah Nugrageni checks citrus trees with two local farmers.

Ms Ika looks for a tiny pest that carries a bad citrus disease.

Huanglongbing can kill citrus trees.

Ika Afifah Nugrageni helps farmers check citrus trees.

Researchers call HSB the 'cancer of citrus' because it's fatal.

The bacterial infection spreads through the Asian citrus psyllid insect.

To keep HSB out of Australia, the government works with Indonesian and Chinese researchers.

'We learn from each other'

The Australian government gave nearly $1.8 million to the research project.

The University of Muhammadiyah Gresik monitors field trials in a village.

One orchard is owned by Javanese farmer Nurofik.

Mr Nurofik is happy to help the study.

'We learn from each other,' he said.

Wardi helps his neighbour farm citrus.

The Borobudur region does not have much HSB, but farmers learn to detect it.

Farmers take seedlings from areas with HSB, so they must be prepared.

Mr Nurofik and Mr Wardi did not know much about managing the psyllid or disease.

'I've heard of it, but it doesn't happen here,' Mr Wardi said.

'I don't have much information about handling the disease.'

The Asian citrus psyllid transmits huanglongbing.

No cure for 'citrus cancer'

Infected trees die within five years.

The only way to control HBS is to remove infected trees.

Tangerine trees are commonly grown in Indonesia.

HSB has devastated citrus production in many countries.

Over 100 million trees have been destroyed in South and Southeast Asia.

An incursion in the US and Brazil caused an orange juice shortage.

Threat to Australia's $1b industry

Citrus is Australia's third most valuable horticulture crop.

Australian citrus exports are worth about half of the industry's value.

The Australian citrus industry is worth $1 billion.

The disease is a big threat to local citrus production.

A potential incursion was prevented in 2016.

Disease destroys livelihoods and food security

Professor Siti Subandiyah leads the ACIAR project.

HSB is hard to detect and control.

The disease affects farmers' livelihoods and family health.

'The farm will not be profitable, and it affects the family's livelihood,' she said.

Siti Subandiyah says addressing HLB in Indonesia is critical for food security.

Eradication of HSB is very difficult.

It's hard to organize smallholder farmers.

The university educates citrus farmers and tests insect repellents.

The Australian-funded project is important to smallholder farmers.

'It will help the smallholder farmer get income from this commodity,' she said.

Australian citrus rootstock is being tested for resistance.

Aussie citrus testing in Indonesian greenhouses

The project tests Australian and US citrus rootstock for HBS tolerance.

Finding resistant plants would be a big breakthrough.

But it's not an easy task.

'We haven't found a resistant one yet,' she said.

The project is important for sharing knowledge and improving citrus production.

It aligns with Indonesia's goal to achieve food self-sufficiency.

'Our president says agriculture is the foundation of national stability,' he said.

ABC reporter Emma Field travelled to Indonesia with support from several organizations.

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How Indonesian Farmers Help Australia's Citrus Industry

ABC Rural

Topic: Plant Diseases

Javanese farmers Wardi and Nurofik are in a research project.

In short:

An Australian project in Indonesia helps farmers stop a bad citrus disease from spreading to Australia.

Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease, has hurt citrus crops worldwide.

What's next?

Researchers want to find and grow citrus trees that can resist the disease and help Indonesian farmers.

Ika Afifah Nugrageni checks citrus trees with two local farmers.

Ms Ika looks for a tiny pest that carries a bad citrus disease.

Huanglongbing can kill citrus trees.

Ika Afifah Nugrageni helps farmers check citrus trees.

Researchers call HSB the 'cancer of citrus' because it's fatal.

The bacterial infection spreads through the Asian citrus psyllid insect.

To keep HSB out of Australia, the government works with Indonesian and Chinese researchers.

'We learn from each other'

The Australian government gave nearly $1.8 million to the research project.

The University of Muhammadiyah Gresik monitors field trials in a village.

One orchard is owned by Javanese farmer Nurofik.

Mr Nurofik is happy to help the study.

'We learn from each other,' he said.

Wardi helps his neighbour farm citrus.

The Borobudur region does not have much HSB, but farmers learn to detect it.

Farmers take seedlings from areas with HSB, so they must be prepared.

Mr Nurofik and Mr Wardi did not know much about managing the psyllid or disease.

'I've heard of it, but it doesn't happen here,' Mr Wardi said.

'I don't have much information about handling the disease.'

The Asian citrus psyllid transmits huanglongbing.

No cure for 'citrus cancer'

Infected trees die within five years.

The only way to control HBS is to remove infected trees.

Tangerine trees are commonly grown in Indonesia.

HSB has devastated citrus production in many countries.

Over 100 million trees have been destroyed in South and Southeast Asia.

An incursion in the US and Brazil caused an orange juice shortage.

Threat to Australia's $1b industry

Citrus is Australia's third most valuable horticulture crop.

Australian citrus exports are worth about half of the industry's value.

The Australian citrus industry is worth $1 billion.

The disease is a big threat to local citrus production.

A potential incursion was prevented in 2016.

Disease destroys livelihoods and food security

Professor Siti Subandiyah leads the ACIAR project.

HSB is hard to detect and control.

The disease affects farmers' livelihoods and family health.

'The farm will not be profitable, and it affects the family's livelihood,' she said.

Siti Subandiyah says addressing HLB in Indonesia is critical for food security.

Eradication of HSB is very difficult.

It's hard to organize smallholder farmers.

The university educates citrus farmers and tests insect repellents.

The Australian-funded project is important to smallholder farmers.

'It will help the smallholder farmer get income from this commodity,' she said.

Australian citrus rootstock is being tested for resistance.

Aussie citrus testing in Indonesian greenhouses

The project tests Australian and US citrus rootstock for HBS tolerance.

Finding resistant plants would be a big breakthrough.

But it's not an easy task.

'We haven't found a resistant one yet,' she said.

The project is important for sharing knowledge and improving citrus production.

It aligns with Indonesia's goal to achieve food self-sufficiency.

'Our president says agriculture is the foundation of national stability,' he said.

ABC reporter Emma Field travelled to Indonesia with support from several organizations.

ABC Rural RoundUp newsletter

Promotion

Top Stories

LIVE

Topic: Federal Government

Topic: Drugs

Topic: Gun Control

Top Stories

LIVE

Topic: Federal Government

Topic: Drugs

Topic: Gun Control

Just In

Topic: Perspective

Topic: Cost of Living

Topic: Black Deaths In Custody

Topic: Animal Attacks