PHL growers decry Aussie efforts to block banana exports

A group of banana producers on Monday denounced as baseless the “excuses" of some Australian banana growers to block the Philippine-grown produce from entering Australia. The Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association particularly blasted Australian member of parliament Bob Katter, who had reportedly said diseases from Philippine bananas will “devastate" Australian agriculture. “They are sticking to the same song and dance to legitimize their non-tariff barriers against Philippine bananas," said Alexander Valoria, president of the Philippine producers’ group. Philippine bananas had been banned in Australia until 2009, when Australia’s director of Animal and Plant Quarantine allowed the produce into their country provided the Philippines comply with a "stringent quarantine policy." "If the Philippines wishes to export bananas to Australia, it would need to demonstrate that the required risk management measures can be achieved under commercial production conditions on an ongoing basis," the agency said in a Feb. 4 fact sheet. “To date, no import permit applications have been received from the Philippines," the agency adds. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service has expressed concern over diseases and pests “of quarantine concern" in Philippine bananas. "A strong biosecurity and quarantine system is critical to Australia’s rural and regional industries and jobs – particularly as a consequence of any heightened risk of pests and diseases due to increased trade flows," the Australian government has declared. 'A question of quarantine and science' In an interview posted on the Australian prime minister’s website, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said, “...this is a question of quarantine and science." “My message has been if the science says no, if the science says that there are quarantine risks, then the relevant government agencies will need to work off that science," Gillard said. Valoria, meanwhile, urged the Philippine government to issue a strong stand against Australia’s trade barriers. The A$631-million (P28 billion) annual merchandise trade surplus that Australia enjoys over the Philippines is more than enough justification for this, he said. “Unless Australia ensures a fair playing field, our government needs to reduce importations from Australia and import from other countries that welcome Philippine produce, such as New Zealand where we can source our milk and milk products," Valoria said. Absence of pest list Only in January did the Philippine Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) bare plans to publish a specimen-based list of pests and diseases that plague local crops – in compliance with a World Trade Organization agreement signed in 1994. The BPI plans to publish the first installment of the list next year. BPI crop protection chief Wilma Cuaterno said the long-overdue list will correct negative impressions about local products – the “number one barrier" to agriculture exports. Cuaterno said that due to the absence of the list, importers tend to believe that Philippine agriculture products are unfit due to lack of information on the types of pests that attack local crops. She described these pests as “manageable." “Kung maganda ang plant health, may countries na magiging interested sa produce natin (If our plants are healthy, other countries will be interested in our produce)," she said. — VS, GMA News