The South Australian government has declared the state free of an exotic virus that impacts tomato and capsicum crops, in the hope of resuming full supply and trade across state borders.

It has been just over a year since tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) was detected for the first time in Australia, in three tomato growing sites north of Adelaide, prompting strict quarantine measures and the destruction of thousands of plants.

Having completed more than 200,000 tests since that time, the SA government said it was confident the virus had not spread and was no longer in the state.

Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven hoped that would lead to wider market access for SA tomatoes into other states, which had placed restrictions on trade in a bid to stop the virus spreading.

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