The owners of SA Tomato, a 65-year-old tomato nursery in Adelaide, South Australia, are considering legal action after closing their business due to a tomato virus crisis.
Peter and Oriana Petsios, who have run the family business for decades, were devastated to shut down after a seedling tested positive for tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) in mid-December 2024. The virus was first detected at their business in August.
“We’re all devastated – it’s a matter for the courts now,” Peter said, adding they had lost approximately $3 million and feared losing their home.
“It’s an unwinnable war. It’s very unfair. We’ve lost our reputation completely. They’ve destroyed a South Australian business.”
The Petsios family laid off their remaining staff after the December test, which came from a sacrificial crop sent to a Victorian customer. The batch was part of a nationally approved deal, but the Victorian glasshouse also tested positive for the virus and is now under quarantine.
Petsios believes the test result was a “false positive,” citing more than 400 subsequent negative tests from the same batch. He plans to pursue legal action and is calling for changes to national legislation regarding ToBRFV, which he argues should be removed from the National Priority Plant Pests list.
He also criticised biosecurity measures, claiming that diagnostic protocols were inconsistent, test results were delayed, and communication with growers was poor.
“If I’ve failed, imagine how many other people are failing out there. They have raised the bar to a level that can’t be passed. It’s very unfair,” he said.
A state government spokesperson stated they would support SA Tomato in restarting its operations and continue to review ToBRFV eradication protocols.
Meanwhile, the opposition has expressed concern that the closure of SA Tomato is a major loss for the industry as it recovers from the virus crisis.
Source: The Advertiser.
