Wholesalers have defended a decision to allow Californian (CA) table grape imports to enter Western Australia, as concerns about biosecurity breaches increase amongst local growers, according to The West Australian.
Last week, the Department of Agriculture and Food for Western Australia (DAFWA) announced it had amend import conditions for CA grapes, granting the US industry market access.
The ruling angered Western Australian growers, who feared the devastating fungal disease pathogen phomopis viticola may be introduced as a result of the imports.
However, Graham Morgan, owner of leading Western Australian wholesaler Bullfrog International, said the claims were nothing more than scaremongering on the growers behalf. Morgan believed growers were more concerned about losing their domestic market share.
“This is good for retailers and consumers at a quiet time of the year for the fruit and vegetable industry,” Morgan told The West Australian.
“Our argument as wholesalers is that it encourages people to eat grapes so that when local grapes are in season, they will eat more.”
DAFWA originally supported the growers’ claims; forcing CA growers to wait 15 months for market access after Biosecurity Australia gave their approval to the deal following import risk analysis carried out in March 2012.
DAFWA plant biosecurity manager John van Schagen said advice from the Federal Department of Agriculture and independent sources had been sought prior to downgrading the phomopis viticola risk rating from low to very low, which allowed CA imports to commence.
“We have an obligation under international trade agreements that whatever barriers and restrictions we put in place we have to scientifically justify, otherwise legally we have no grounds if someone challenges them,” van Schagen told The West Australian.
