Members of the Coffs Harbour and District Banana Growers Association have expressed concern over the possible import of fresh Cavendish bananas from the Philippines following a review announced by the Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).
Last month, DAFF confirmed it would reassess quarantine arrangements after the Philippines requested access to the Australian market. Currently, Australia does not permit the import of fresh bananas from any country. DAFF stated that changes will only occur if scientific assessments confirm that "measures effectively manage the biosecurity risks."
Local growers argue that the risks outweigh the benefits. "Australian farmers must meet strict standards and requirements for the growing, production, and sale of their bananas, and the risk of disease from imports to our local farms would be catastrophic to our industry and the farming families," said Leanne Gentle, who operates a farm in Bonville and represents the local association.
Gentle also raised concerns about market pressure. "The cost impacts of imports will almost certainly see Aussie farmers trying to compete at low prices. The Philippines produces over 5.9 million tons of bananas per annum, compared to under 375,000 tons domestically," she said. "Australia produces more than enough high-quality bananas for the domestic market, and allowing the import of bananas will flood our markets, exceeding demand and thereby creating downward pressure on the domestic price."
She added that rising production and compliance costs have already strained local growers. "Cheap prices at the supermarket always mean low returns to the farmers. We do not doubt that imports will see a rapid decline in Aussie production and force farmers out of business."
Australia's banana industry is valued at about US$870 million and supports more than 540 growers and 18,000 workers. The Australian Banana Growers' Council (ABGC) said imports are unnecessary and present serious biosecurity risks. "That entire production could be put at risk through the entry of exotic diseases if overseas-grown bananas are brought into Australia," said ABGC CEO Leanne Erakovic. "There is no quarantine measure that can reduce any imported disease risk to zero. Almost safe is not safe enough."
As a member of the World Trade Organization, Australia must assess market access requests under international trade rules. DAFF will conduct a technical visit to the Philippines to evaluate production systems, pest management, and export protocols. The review will include scientific risk assessments for key pathogens—Moko, black Sigatoka, and banana freckle—and consider the Philippines' request to include the cultivar GCTCV-218 and a new export province, Davao de Oro.
Source: Nambucca Valley News
