Citrus Australia calls for stronger quarantine
Biosecurity agents last week seized 142 kg of kaffir lime leaves that had come in from Thailand and were found to be infected with citrus canker disease.
A previous outbreak of the disease caused extensive damage to the industry in Queensland and cost over $100 million. This, Tanya Chapman, chair of Citrus Australia, says, can not be allowed to happen again.
"The citrus industry, having gone through a canker incident once already, is absolutely horrified of the thought of having to do that again," she said.
"Whilst we're of the belief that these lime leaves will be staying in the metropolitan region, it's not good enough that it's actually able to get into our country in the first place."
However, Tim Chapman, Head of the Dept. of Agriculture's border compliance division, says quarantine processes are already extensive.
"We do about 7000 completely random inspections a year, and we have an ongoing process of doing these much more intelligence-based targeted campaigns, but we will be continuing having more detailed full inspections of goods brought in by importers who we may have reason to be concerned about."
Source: abc.net.au
