Australia: Senate committee to hear Aust apple growers' concerns

Australian apple growers will have the chance to voice their concerns about New Zealand imports at a Senate hearing next month.

A final import risk analysis by Biosecurity Australia allows apple imports under strict quarantine protocols.

The Senate Rural and Regional Affairs Committee will hold a hearing in Canberra on May 9. Chairman of Apples and Pears Australia Darral Ashton says it is one of the last opportunities to fight to preserve the 80-year ban on foreign apples.

"We put forward seven areas of appeal, they were all rejected and some of them we were just astounded by," he said.

"So we believe the only way to get some real clarity on the issue is to have the senators look at it and we believe that once they get an understanding of it they'll see the issues we've been trying to raise."

Source: abc.net.au