Australia moves to shield $1B citrus industry from deadly disease

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (MNTV) — An Australian-funded research initiative is underway in Indonesia to combat Huanglongbing (HLB), a devastating citrus disease that has already wiped out millions of trees worldwide and poses a major biosecurity risk to Australia’s $1 billion citrus industry, reports ABC News.

HLB is widely regarded by researchers as the “cancer of citrus” due to its fatal impact and lack of a known cure. It is caused by a bacterial infection spread mainly by the Asian citrus psyllid and has affected nearly every major citrus-growing region worldwide, except Australia.

In a bid to keep it out, Australia has partnered with researchers in Indonesia and China to improve detection and control measures. The Australian Center for International Agricultural Research has committed nearly $1.8 million over five years to support the initiative.

As part of the project, scientists from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) are conducting field trials near the village of Kembanglimus in Central Java. One participating orchard belongs to third-generation farmer Nurofik.

“We learn from each other,” he said. “If our friends from UGM need land to do research on, it’s beneficial for both of us.”

Although the Borobudur region currently has low levels of infection, the risk remains due to the movement of contaminated planting material. “Because farmers take the seedling from [a neighboring region] which is an endemic location of huanglongbing, we must be prepared,” said Postgraduate student Ika Afifah Nugrageni, who is studying at Indonesia’s Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM).  

Local farmers admit limited knowledge of the disease. “I’ve heard of and seen it, but it doesn’t happen here,” said Wardi, a farmer. “But I don’t have much information about how to handle the disease.”

Once infected, citrus trees show yellowing leaves, produce bitter fruit, and typically die within five years. The only effective control method is the removal of infected trees.

Globally, the disease has already caused severe damage. In the United States, outbreaks have devastated citrus production in Florida, California and Texas. Across South and Southeast Asia, more than 100 million trees have been destroyed, while outbreaks in 2024 in the U.S. and Brazil triggered an orange juice shortage and drove up global prices.

The threat is particularly significant for Australia’s citrus industry, valued at around $1 billion annually. The crop is the country’s third most valuable horticultural product, with exports accounting for over half of total production. 

Authorities maintain strict biosecurity measures, including a 2016 incident in which border officials intercepted live psyllids on a lime plant carried by a traveler from Bangladesh.

Back in Indonesia, project lead Siti Subandiyah warned that HLB poses a major threat to smallholder farmers. “The farm will not be profitable [and] it affects the livelihood of the family, because the income will be declining,” she said.

She added that eradication remains extremely challenging. “We can’t just have one farmer follow the recommendation; it has to be in a wide area management,” she said. “With many smallholder farmers, it is very difficult to organize and to coordinate the work.”

Researchers are now focusing on farmer education, as well as testing insect repellents, traps, and disease-tolerant citrus varieties. However, Professor Siti cautioned that a breakthrough is still elusive. “Worldwide, we haven’t found a resistant one yet,” she said.

For Alan Soffan, the head of UGM’s Agro-technology Innovation Centre, the collaboration is vital. “We have citrus, Australia has citrus, so we can share the knowledge and share the problem, to improve our production, our quality of citrus, to feed the world,” he said.

He added that the initiative also supports the food security agenda of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, noting: “Our president says agriculture is the foundation of national stability.”