A $100 million annual export business is under threat by the proposed $2 billion Bruce Highway upgrade at Edmonton.

Two of the three options for the 100km/h highway, rip through the middle of the Mad About Plants wholesale nursery near Wrights Creek.

View the full details of the 3 options for the Bruce Highway upgrade.

It has the potential to destroy plans for a $100m a year aquilaria export business.

Company managing director Darryl Madder said he feared the worst after he was visited by a government-appointed valuer this week.

"Sending a valuer out to us smells. It’s something they seem keen to push through quickly," he said.

Mr Madder said his nursery was the only one in Australia to grow the rare and expensive aquilaria crassna, a source of agarwood, a resinous heartwood used for perfumes and incenses.

The resin is produced by the tree in response to infection by a parasite. The resin fetches more than $5000 a kilogram.

"We are the only ones who have been successful in growing the seedlings in Australia," he said. "

"We know what to do, we have the infrastructure, the land, the humidity and the water."

Mad About Plants supplies the seedlings to Wescorp Agarwood, which grows the trees on land in the Wet Tropics.

It is encouraging sugar cane farmers to convert their land into aquilaria plantations.

Last year, the company supplied 5000 seedlings by 2010/11 it plans to plant 100,000 seedlings and the year after 500,000.

Wescorp executive chairman Tim Coakley said it would create a new industry in the region capable of earning $100 million in exports by 2020.

"Mad About Plants is a very integral part of where the industry will be going and the supply of the seedlings for the tree farmers of the future." he said.

"Wescorp is not interested in this role and we will be depending upon Mad About Plants to gear up for this growth."

Mr Madder said his nursery was also growing sandalwood seedlings which had the potential for 400,000 plants a year.

Also at risk was supply of plants, shrubs and other materials to 75 per cent of the Far North’s landscapers, developers and councils and his 27 staff.

Mr Madder said he would never be able to replicate the growing conditions on the 7ha property, which is the site of the biggest wholesale nursery in North Queensland, including another property at Edmonton and at Malanda.

"I would get compensation for the land and for the business but it’s just not fair market value.

"It’s not for sale. I don’t need the money. I just want to put this vision together.

"How do you start up again? I have more than a million plants here and it would take at least a year and I’m not interested in that."

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