Carnarvon banana farmers call to scrap proposal for Filipino banana imports amid pest and disease concerns

A proposal for the import of Filipino bananas into Australia has drawn fierce opposition from WA growers concerned about biosecurity risks. The import review on Cavendish bananas was requested by the Philippine Government to reconsider pathogens of concern identified in a 2008 import risk analysis, proposing alternative methods and measures to contain and control pests and diseases. Banana farmers and Sweeter Banana business manager Doriana Mangili said Carnarvon farmers feared fruit imported from the Philippines could bring pests and diseases — like black sigatoka and moko — to local farms and crops. “A really sinking, horrible feeling is the potential impacts of disease that would come into Carnarvon and Australia, could wipe out our industry,” Ms Mangili said. “The issue we’ve got in Carnarvon are our farms are so close together— without buffer spaces we probably couldn’t control these diseases by aerial spraying as they do in the Philippines. “No risk is acceptable because it only takes one — one banana that comes in that’s infected, that comes into contact with a banana tree and then you’ve got the disease.” There are more than 500 banana growers in Australia, with 94 per cent of production in Far North Queensland. Carnarvon banana crops supply almost 20 per cent of WA’s banana supply, and are free from disease and pesticides. The proposal, posted on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website, said the department would undertake assessments for moko, black sigatoka, and banana freckle, and review the 2008 import risk analysis. The Australian Banana Growers’ Council has also opposed the proposal, saying imports are unnecessary and would pose serious risks to the $1.3 billion powerhouse industry. ABGC chief executive Leanne Erakovic said the threat posed by the proposed imports was an unacceptable one. “We have never needed to import bananas, and we don’t need to start now,” she said. “Australian growers produce more than enough high-quality fruit to supply the entire domestic market.” “That entire production could be put at risk through the entry of exotic diseases if overseas-grown bananas are brought into Australia.” The domestic banana industry supports more than 540 growers and 18,000 workers across the country. “There is no quarantine measure that can reduce any imported disease risk to zero. Almost safe is not safe enough,” Ms Erakovic said. “Allowing imports creates a pathway for diseases that could devastate our industry and the regional communities it supports. “As we’ve seen with other introduced pests such as fire ants and cane toads, once introduced they are extremely hard, if not impossible, to eradicate.” Australian farmers currently produce enough bananas to satisfy domestic markets year-round.