Nationals oppose plan to import pineapples from India and Indonesia

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 06:32 · Archive

Australia is considering importing pineapples from India and Indonesia, but the Nationals oppose the plan on biosecurity grounds.

Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has recommended allowing the importation of commercially produced decrowned pineapples from India and Indonesia, subject to biosecurity requirements. The draft report identified 160 bugs, fungi and bacteria linked to pineapples in those countries, but determined only eight posed a risk to Australian agriculture and native plants, as the others either already exist in Australia or cannot survive there.

The Nationals party is opposing the plan. Leader Matt Canavan said on Wednesday that whilst his party backed fair trade, 'fair trade must be safe trade'. He called for imports to be approved only after independent scientific testing, with strict biosecurity conditions in place and Australian growers protected. The party launched a petition against what it called 'Labor's foreign pineapples plan'.

To manage biosecurity risks, the report recommended treating fruit before export using fumigation or irradiation to kill pests. These are the same standards Australia currently applies to pineapple imports from the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Taiwan and Thailand. Canavan brought samples of Australian pineapples to parliament to demonstrate the quality of domestic production.

How it is being reported

• Nationals fight ‘foreign pineapple plan’ as Australia mulls over India, Indonesia importsThe Nationals are fighting for “the best pineapples in the world”, as Australia mulls over importing more despite the risks.Perth Now · 14 Oct, 06:14
• Nationals fight ‘foreign pineapple plan’ as Australia mulls over India, Indonesia importsThe Nationals are fighting for “the best pineapples in the world”, as Australia mulls over importing more despite the risks.The West Australian · 14 Oct, 06:14

In this story: Matt Canavan · The Nationals · India · Indonesia · Australia · Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

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