Australia makes a step into the next stage of the assessment of fresh Cavendish banana imports from the Philippines. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) made a technical visit to five sites in the Philippines and published a report on the trip.
An Issues Paper was published that provided more details on the issues that must be considered and resolved before banana imports commence. The paper also gave notice of intention to conduct the assessment as a Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis (BIRA), which will mark the start of a 30-month timeframe to finalize the analysis.
The move has faced intense opposition from the Australian Banana Growers Association and the Banana Imports Committee. These two bodies are prepared to thoroughly examine the information and inconsistencies arising from the analysis.
The import assessment process is long and complex, often taking several years to reach a conclusion. The Banana Imports Committee intends to keep the industry informed of any developments, especially changes to biosecurity standards.
Australian Banana Growers Association fears that disease pathogens identified in the Philippines have the ability to wipe out the Australian banana industry.
