It is estimated that fruit flies cost the horticulture industry more than $300 million lost in international or domestic markets annually. To tackle the issue, the Hort Frontiers – Fruit Fly Fund aims to control fruit fly populations that may impact the productivity of the Australian horticulture industry.

At its core is the Sterile Insect Technique Plus (SITPlus) Program and since its launch in 2014, the focus has been on research and development.

Read more about the program’s activities and what has been achieved, in this article that first featured in the Summer 2019/20 edition of Vegetables Australia magazine.

This Fund is one of seven funds developed by Hort Innovation to facilitate collaborative cross-industry investments focused on longer-term, complex and traditionally under-invested themes identified as critical for Australian horticulture in 2025.