The Hort Frontiers Fruit Fly Fund aims to control the fruit fly populations that may impact the productivity of the Australian horticulture industry.

It is estimated that fruit flies cost the horticulture industry more than $300 million in lost international or domestic markets annually*. Research in the Fruit Fly Fund focuses on enhancing existing in-field control measures, looking for new post disinfestation technologies, and developing and implementing sterile insect technology (including area wide management in preparation for SIT implementation).

At the core of the Fruit Fly Fund is the ground-breaking $60 million SITplus partnership. The SITplus program pulls together some of the world’s leading fruit fly experts and research organisations, aiming to deliver an integrated solution to the management of Queensland Fruit Fly (Qfly). The fund also addresses Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Medfly), with projects currently operating in Western Australia.

*Estimated by Australia’s Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre (2016), not taking into consideration potential industry growth.

Numerous investments have been made in the Hort Frontiers Fruit Fly Fund – explore these ongoing and completed projects below.