Blueberry farmers from across the state have joined their voices in concern after it was determined blueberry rust had been found for a second time in Tasmania.

The rust was found at commercial fruit grower Costa’s Sulphur Creek farm about a month after Biosecurity Tasmania declared the pest eradicated from the state.

A meeting between Biosecurity Tasmania and blueberry growers was organised by Fruit Growers Tasmania on Thursday and was attended by nearly 30 producers.

Gravelly Beach farmers Rachel DeWit and Steve Clements, of Aviemore Farm, said blueberry rust had the potential to lock Tasmanian growers out of certain markets and that it had the ability to “destroy” Tasmania’s branded image.

“It is of extreme importance to our future viability [that we address blueberry rust],” Mr Clements said.

“It [blueberry rust] attacks the clean, green image of Tasmania that is our premium point of difference.”

Mr Clements said small producers had been doing all they could to prevent the rust from reappearing in the state and some, like Aviemore Farm, had some of the best quality assurance standards in the world.

Ms DeWit said it was important growers had their say to ensure Biosecurity Tasmania took their point-of-view into account when deciding the best course of action.

Organic blueberry farmer Trish Macfarlane, of Holwell, said she experienced feelings of shock and disbelief when she heard the news blueberry rust had been found again in Tasmania.

“I just thought ‘what on Earth are we going to do?’,” she said.

Organic farmers have more to lose with the detection of blueberry rust in Tasmania because their certification means they can’t use any traditional spraying methods to prevent or manage the disease.

“We have nothing to fight the rust with,” she said.

“My farm has it’s own biosecurity but for me, I can’t do any more than that.”

She said she attended the meeting to ensure small growers and those who are organic had a voice to be considered before any action was taken on the rust.

Producers agreed eradication was the best course of action and hoped Biosecurity Tasmania would listen to their concerns.

“The best course of action would be eradication, to get rid of the plants, which is possible,” Mr Clements said.

Fruit Growers Tasmania business development manager Phil Pyke said while eradication was the best outcome for all involved it could mean producers could have “property freedom” from the disease.

“We used to have area freedom but what it might come down to is property freedom,” he said.

Mr Pyke said FGT’s concern was for the organic growers, such as Ms Macfarlane’s, who had less protection than others.

Biosecurity Tasmania said it had completed its initial surveillance program on and around the site of the blueberry rust incursion but it was still too early to tell if eradication of the pest was feasible.

“Those surveys have not found any evidence of disease on properties outside the detection site. However, they have confirmed the disease is present on the detection site in four of 11 blocks on the property,” Biosecurity Tasmania acting general manager Rae Burrows said.

In the last week Biosecurity Tasmania has inspected 14,000 plants capable of hosting the disease across five properties in a 25-kilometre radius of the detection.

​Although no disease has been detected outside the site at this stage, Ms Burrows said anyone with blueberry plants is encouraged to remain vigilant for evidence of the disease and report any unusual signs on blueberry plants to Biosecurity Tasmania.