The meeting is at 11am at the community centre.

Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association Fresh Market Export Commodity Group chair Mike Badcock said the organisation was “very concerned” following the recall after fruit fly larvae was found in fruit from a Devonport store and extension of control zones.

Mr Badcock called for better communication to cut through the confusion.

“We’re not getting the message out. The general public is not understanding that you can’t transfer fruit and vegetables,” he said.

“I think it’s that important that we need to go the full hog. We nearly need something on every road. We’ve really got to get it out in people’s faces.”

If the fruit fly incursions are not stemmed the state’s tourism and fresh produce industries are at risk.

“We really must protect our clean and green image at all costs,” Mr Badcock said.

“If we lose that [fruit fly free] status it won’t affect just fruit; it will affect vegetables and a lot of other commodities as well, so it’s really urgent that we get something on the way.”

Opposition Leader Rebecca White announced at Turners Beach on Thursday that Labor would establish a fruit fly task force if it was elected.

“Nothing like this has been seen in Tasmania for over 100 years,” Ms White said.

Labor already pledged that 20 new staff would be appointed to Biosecurity Tasmania over four years, funded by $3.7 million from state Labor and $2 million from federal Labor.

“We’re taking biosecurity seriously because it goes to the very critical element of the Tasmanian brand,” Ms White said.

“If we don’t protect the integrity of the Tasmanian brand then all of the work that has happened over the number of decades before us to create the integrity of that brand and build market access will be for nothing.”

Primary Industries minister Jeremy Rockliff agreed that the fruit fly issue should be “above politics” and asked opposition spokesman for primary industries Shane Broad to join him in biosecurity briefings.

“This will allow Labor to be fully informed of the facts, and for all of us to work together in a ‘Team Tasmania’ approach to manage the incursion, irrespective of the election campaign,” Mr Rockliff said.