Banana freckle

A national program has been running since 2022 to eradicate banana freckle (Phyllosticta cavendishii) from the NT.

By March 2025, all known infected properties had their infected plant material removed. These properties were located in the rural and remote areas of:

  • Batchelor
  • Bees Creek
  • Fly Creek
  • Girraween
  • Herbert
  • Howard Springs
  • Humpty Doo
  • Marrakai
  • McMinns Lagoon
  • Middle Point
  • Rum Jungle
  • Tiwi Islands.

Banana freckle is still declared a pest under the NT Plant Health Act 2008. It can reduce banana yields by up to 30% and increase production costs, which affects the quality and marketability of fruit.

Because it is a notifiable pest, you are legally required to report any suspected cases to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF).

Report online

Ongoing monitoring in the NT

Australia’s national biosecurity system has effectively prevented and managed the disease through a coordinated national response. For more information, go to the Australian Government website.

The NT DAF is running an ongoing program to control banana freckle. The program aims to:

  • stop the disease from spreading
  • protect other banana‑growing regions
  • maintain Australia’s disease‑free status
  • support the NT to regain freedom from the disease in the future
  • help keep Australia’s current import rules for bananas in place.

Plant health inspectors will continue to monitor rural and urban areas, including Darwin and Palmerston.

For more information, read the Future Management of Banana Freckle Factsheet PDF (133.4 KB).

Moving or selling plants or plant material

You must have a permit to sell or move any banana plant material (except the fruit).

This helps ensure the material comes from proprieties that are certified free of banana freckle.

This rule applies to anyone selling or moving banana plants, sets, suckers or tissue cultures, including nurseries and market sellers.

How to apply

If you plan to move or sell banana plant material within the NT fill in the Permit for Trade in Banana Plants within the Northern Territory PDF (149.2 KB). Permits are free.

If you plan to move or sell banana plant material out of the NT you must contact DAF.

What is banana freckle

Banana freckle is a fungal disease of banana leaves and fruit.

There is no risk to human health from eating banana freckle infected bananas.

It's a declared pest under Northern Territory (NT) Plant Health Act 2008.

The fungus is exotic to Australia and affects Cavendish and other varieties of bananas.

Banana freckle is a serious threat to the banana industry for commercial production as well as backyard growers.

The disease decreases plant health and productivity by reducing the amount of healthy leaf area, and affects fruit quality and appearance. This is of concern to the banana industry as it can impact production costs and marketability of fruit.

Key characteristics of banana freckle include:

  • sandpapery feeling spots, mainly on leaves and fruit
  • very small to large spots (1 to 4mm) and dark brown to black in colour
  • spots running together to form streaks
  • yellowing of the leaf, which can wither and die.

There are 2 known ways this fungal disease spreads.

Banana freckle spread through water droplets carried by wind, droplets can pass from one infected leaf to another.

This fungus spreads over short distances through water droplets carried by the wind. The droplets can move from one infected leaf to another and can also land on and infect banana fruit.

Banana freckle can spread through plant movement.

This fungus spreads when infected plants are moved. For example, if someone puts an infected plant in their car and takes it to a new location, the fungus can spread.

For more information read the following resources.

For more information on managing banana  freckle, go to the Australian Banana Growers’ Council website.

For biosecurity alerts and updates, go to the Biosecurity NT Facebook page.

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How to report

If you think you have seen banana freckle in the NT, report it by:

Submit a sample

You can submit a sample for identification to DAF.

To find out how to submit a sample, contact the team by calling 08 8999 2136 or emailing bananafreckle.nt@nt.gov.au.

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