00:04Jody Miltonoff is a long way from his farm. The Riverland Jujube grower has returned to
00:09project management to make ends meet.
00:11With fruit fly, weather conditions, business is pretty difficult.
00:16Six years of business restrictions due to fruit fly outbreaks has led some growers to
00:21walk away from their blocks.
00:23I'm lucky that I've got the construction industry to fall back on and supplement our
00:29income.
00:30Grower groups are leading discussions about ending fruit fly restrictions on the western
00:35side of the Riverland where there are no outbreaks.
00:38So if we can get some of these areas out, that will instil confidence back in the public,
00:42then we can ask them to get behind us and keep that fight going.
00:46Department of Primary Industries budget figures show $10 million allocated to managing fruit
00:51fly wasn't spent last year due to fewer detections.
00:55Any money saving is good money saving, that's for sure.
00:58But growers are divided on whether the money should have been used to bolster eradication.
01:03I don't think that the programs that we've been putting in place go far enough.
01:19In a statement, a Department of Primary Industries spokesperson says pest free area status can be considered
01:26when there are no further detections of fruit fly.
01:29Even if fruit fly restrictions lift, this grower won't completely retire his hard hat.
01:34It's exciting, it's what I used to do, but I still prefer farm life.
01:39hoping for a fruit fly free future.
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