SA to build sterile fruit fly facility

A new $3.8 million fruit-fly research centre is to be built in South Australia.

The Port Augusta facility, due to be completed by next June, will produce millions of sterile male fruit flies, which will mate with wild females to control the population.

"This will make a huge difference to keeping South Australia fruit fly free, and will help to significantly reduce fruit fly populations in major horticulture regions in the eastern states," said Agriculture Minister Leon Bignell on Thursday.