New Zealand government ministers and officials met top-fruit industry leaders in Wellington today, reportedly to draw up battle plans for taking Australia to the World Trade Organisation for its refusal to open its ports to New Zealand apples.
The talks took place after ministers failed to make progress in negotiations with Australian trade minister Warren Truss in Auckland last week.
Apple and pear body Pipfruit NZ has vowed to argue strongly for an appeal to the WTO, and the Kiwi government is almost certain to endorse its view.
NZ media quoted sources as saying “the government is likely to delay announcing a decision, however, because it wants to keep its strategy's timeline under wraps”. Trade Minister Phil Goff said last week that an appeal is almost inevitable.
Australia has banned New Zealand apples for 85 years, for fear of introducing fireblight disease. The WTO, however, has backed scientific evidence that fireblight cannot be spread by mature apples.
Biosecurity Australia agreed to reopen the apple trade last year under strict rules, but the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service said on Friday it is seeking technical experts' advice on whether procedures put in place meet Biosecurity Australia's requirements.
Pipfruit NZ chief executive Peter Beaven takes an aggressive stance: "The Aussies are too scared to sign off on the procedures. There's an election coming up and their rural politicians don't want to lose votes," he said.
About 1,000 hectares of trees were reserved for the Aussie market this year, but the time has now passed and the procedure for dealing with European canker put time pressure on growers, who could not prune until orchards had been inspected for it. Contractors were turning up to do the work and could not be put off, so the delay has proved extremely costly.
A final decision on a WTO appeal could be up to four years away.