Potato mop-top virus is here to stay and its source is unlikely to ever be discovered, Biosecurity Tasmania has said.

Despite extensive testing and tracing of Tasmania's certified seed potato lines, nearly 2,000 tonnes of seed potato will be destroyed to prevent further spreading.

The testing was triggered after the virus was detected on a farm in the state's north-west in July, marking its first confirmed appearance on Australian soil.

Potato mop-top virus (PMTV) rots the skin and flesh of potatoes but poses no risks to human health.

Over the past four weeks, more than 100,000 tubers from nearly 400 different seed lines have been collected and sent to laboratories in Adelaide and Hobart for testing.

"PTMV was detected in only a relatively minor proportion of the significant volume of

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