The National Sterile Insect Technology (SIT) facility, located at Port Augusta, has recently undergone a $3 million expansion, which has doubled its capacity to produce sterile Queensland fruit flies to 40 million a week.

Most of the flies will be released in the Riverland to deal with current fruit fly outbreaks, however South Australia now has capacity provide flies to support other Australian horticultural regions battling fruit fly.

Nick Secomb, Director for Plant Health and Invasive Species at the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), said sterile insect technology was a key tool in the efforts to eradicate fruit fly.

"What we've got in Port Augusta is the only facility in Australia that can produce large quantities of sterile Queensland fruit fly," Mr Secomb said.

"It's been in place for seven years, but what we’ve just done is double the capacity."

He said sterile insect technology worked by preventing wild fruit flies from producing offspring.

"If you can imagine, there's only one or two wild flies left out there, they are widely dispersed, then all the sterile flies are released and get in between any of those wild flies that might be out there, so they’re swamped with all those sterile flies, and they can’t find each other," Mr Secomb said.

"It’s a bit like going to Adelaide Oval. If you go there and you’re trying to find your friend and there’s no one else in the ground but you come in through different gates, you’ll find each other within five minutes because there’s no one in the way.

"But if you put 50,000 people in the ground, which is like the sterile flies, you’ll never find each other."

There are currently 44 fruit fly outbreaks in the Riverland, which are set to be declared over on 25 December 2023, so long as no further detections are made.

Mr Secomb said that everyone had a role to play in helping to eradicate fruit fly from South Australia.

"Fruit fly is spread by people moving fruit with fruit fly in it," he said.

"It's important people check before they travel that they are not going to an outbreak area.

"If you're going to the Riverland, please don't take fruit - there's plenty to be had once you arrive, and that way we make sure we don't spread the problem any further."

Citrus SA chair Mark Doecke welcomed the Port Augusta centre's expansion.

"This doubling of capacity will not only help to eradicate fruit fly within the Riverland but will also help in ensuring South Australia to keep its all-important fruit fly free status, contributing significantly towards retaining market confidence in our premium produce," Mr Doecke said.

Check PIRSA's dedicated fruit fly website for more information or call the Fruit Fly Hotline to report suspected fruit fly or get answers to your questions on 1300 666 010.

Fruit fly is the world’s worst horticultural pest, destroying fruit and vegetables in commercial crops, home gardens and impacting on trade access. In Australia, Queensland fruit fly is one of two major species that impacts fruit and vegetable crops, the other being Mediterranean fly, also known as Medfly.

The expansion of the National Sterile Insect Technology facility at Port Augusta has been funded under the Federal Government's $30 million Building Resilience to Manage Fruit Fly package, with additional contributions from PIRSA and Citrus SA.