Local growers fear they could face more than just increased competition since the Federal Government’s decision to go ahead with the importation of New Zealand apples into Australia.
Apple growers are concerned the decision will open the gates for fire blight, leaf curling midge or European canker to enter the country and decimate the local industry.
Australia’s Director of Animal and Plant Quarantine announced the decision to allow New Zealand imports on August 17 and the first apples have already been spotted in Sydney’s Wholesale Market. LNP Member for Maranoa Bruce Scott said the move was a significant blow to Maranoa’s apple growers.
“This is a very dark day for apple growers in the Maranoa electorate,” he said.
“Fireblight is a highly contagious disease that can wipe out an entire orchard and was a major reason for the 90-year ban on apple imports to Australia from New Zealand.
“Not only is our clean, green, disease-free status now in jeopardy, but our local industry risks devastation with local growers also being forced to compete with cheaper imported apples.”
Member for Southern Downs, Lawrence Springborg said yesterday that the fatal decision was free trade gone feral.
“There is immense concern about the very real possibility of an outbreak of Fireblight in the local apple industry,” Mr Springborg said.
“No-one has a problem with fair market competition, but sacrificing an entire industry at the altar of free trade and exposing it to unacceptable disease risks, is just suicidal.”
Mr Springborg praised the efforts of the Granite Belt’s apple growers who have fought, over many years, a valiant and sustained but albeit draining and unsuccessful battle to protect their industry from this disease risk. To counter the set-back, the apple growers have taken the unprecedented step of branding locally grown fruit with an ‘AussieApples’ sticker to make it easy for shoppers to choose home-grown apples.
Fourth generation Aussie apple grower Brad Fankhauser said growers wanted to empowerAustralian families to support local growers and actively choose ‘Aussie Apples’.
“Identifying where produce comes from can cause a lot of confusion for shoppers. We want to make it as easy as possible for families to identify and buy ‘Aussie Apples’. Now it’sas simple as looking for the sticker.”
