China has implemented a stringent new quarantine inspection regime for Philippine bananas and suspended imports from Sumifru (Philippines) Corporation after reportedly finding the pest Aonidiella comperei Mckenzie in a shipment from the exporter.
According to a statement from China’s quarantine inspection authority AQSIQ, Shenzhen quarantine officers discovered Aonidiella comperei Mckenzie - a type of scale insect - during a customs inspection of one lot of Philippine bananas from Sumifru. AQSIQ said that the pest, which has not been found in China, is very harmful and spreads easily.
The Chinese quarantine authority has now stopped imports of bananas from Sumifru and its orchard and packhouse operations with effect from 6 March - and informed its Philippine counterparts.
Amid increasing pest concerns over Philippine banana imports, AQSIQ said it was also tightening up its quarantine inspection procedures on the fruit. A higher percentage of shipments would be inspected, and if anything suspect was found, samples would be sent to laboratories for testing. Shipments would only be released after receiving results of the tests. Any shipments failing to meet quarantine standards would be either returned to the Philippines or destroyed, AQSIQ said.
While the circumstances surrounding the stringent new measures are unclear, some industry sources suggested that the move was politically motivated, and related to the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China over the Spratly Islands.
Whatever the reasons, any measure that restricts Philippine banana access into China is likely to have a serious impact on the overall industry.
China has become the rising star for Philippine banana exporters. In 2008, the industry shipped 19.87m (13kg) boxes to China, equating to around 10 per cent of total exports. By last year, however, volumes had more than doubled to 49.64m boxes, making up around 21 per cent of overall exports, according to industry figures provided by exporter NEH Philippines.
“Surely if China doesn’t accept Philippine fruit while new standards are being prepared and implemented, it would lead to an oversupply and price reduction in all our other markets,” said Jeroen de Haas of NEH Philippines. “China imports 1m boxes each week out of a total of 4.5m boxes shipped out `of the Philippines`.”
