Compensation is being progressed for potato levy-paying growers on the mainland who received potato seed lines from Tasmania that tested positive for Potato mop-top virus (PMTV), and were unable to plant due to State Government biosecurity orders. The first payments are expected to be processed for growers this week.

This outcome is the result of complex representations by AUSVEG on behalf of potato growers, with arrangements reached with Plant Health Australia (PHA), who played a key facilitation role in progressing arrangements to release Biosecurity Response Component funds (formerly the Emergency Plant Pest Response Levy). The approach reflects PHA’s national coordination role and commitment to supporting outcomes-focused solutions within the national plant biosecurity system including assistance to affected growers, while maintaining appropriate response governance.

These compensation payments represent the first instance such funds have been used to compensate growers without a formal national biosecurity Response Plan being initiated, demonstrating the system’s capacity to be agile and flexible to emerging circumstances. The outcome underscores AUSVEG’s advocacy on behalf of the potato growers it represents, and PHA’s focus on facilitating mechanisms that deliver improved biosecurity outcomes.

AUSVEG has been working with affected levy-paying potato growers, with the first independent assessments completed, ahead of compensation payments being progressed.

Under the arrangements, potato growers may be eligible for compensation if they owned a potato seed line sourced from Tasmania that tested positive for PMTV and had a State Government biosecurity order to not plant.

Stringent eligibility criteria, assessment and governance processes have been applied. This included that seed must have been purchased from Tasmania by a potato grower for planting during the 2025/2026 season, and received before 1 September 2025, prior to the movement restrictions on Tasmanian seed entering the mainland coming into effect.

Growers seeking compensation must also provide evidence of seed ownership, and destruction, storage and processing costs, as applicable.

Compensation will cover, depending on circumstances, the cost of the seed, the cost of destroying the seed and the cost of storing the seed under a biosecurity order, pending eligibility criteria being met. In the event the seed was processed at a value lower than the initial purchase value, the compensation covers the difference, plus associated storage costs.

Compensation does not cover potential loss of future income because growers were unable or unwilling to plant.

An independent, third-party assessor has been appointed by AUSVEG to determine eligibility for compensation against the criteria, with cases for compensation then provided for consideration of an approval committee, prior to compensation being finalised.

While AUSVEG has been working directly with affected growers, growers wanting to learn more can contact AUSVEG National Manager – Biosecurity and Extension, Zarmeen Hassan, via  zarmeen.hassan@ausveg.com.au, 03 9882 0277.

Background
Potato mop-top virus (PMTV) was detected in Australia for the first time in Tasmania in July 2025, with movement restrictions onto the mainland introduced in September 2025. Of Tasmanian seed that arrived in Victoria prior to restrictions being implemented, one seed line tested positive for PMTV while PMTV was not detected in other seed lines that were tested. Seed that tested positive was not planted and subsequently destroyed under biosecurity orders.  Mainland states remain free of PMTV.

Potato growers have been paying a Biosecurity Response Component since 2018 when the then Emergency Plant Pest Response Levy was activated to repay an industry debt to the Commonwealth for the Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP) response. As an industry, after a comprehensive consultation conducted by AUSVEG in 2024, the decision was made to maintain the levy on an ongoing basis, with some of the subsequently accumulated reserve now available for the purposes of PMTV compensation.

Had AUSVEG not had the foresight to conduct the consultation to maintain the levy, a lengthy consultation would have been required to enact one, and no reserve would be available to compensate growers impacted by PMTV.