Dear Editor,
Revelations by department officials during this week’s senate estimates confirm grower concerns about New Zealand apple imports.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry confirmed three of 13 consignments containing thousands of apples inspected before shipment were rejected by Australian authorities.
These consignments contained either leaf trash that can carry disease and pests, or the apple leaf curling midge that can severely damage fruit trees.
Department officials told the Rural Affairs and Transport senate committee that these apples never left New Zealand.
The worry is that if they are finding this much what are they missing? And what does this high level of rejection so early in the trade say for New Zealand exporters?
It is therefore timely that the Coalition’s Shadow Minister for Agriculture, John Cobb, and other colleagues from major fruit growing regions are visiting New Zealand this week to visit orchards and packing houses, and see what corrective action is being undertaken to address these problems.
The federal Agriculture Minister, Senator Joe Ludwig, should being doing the same.
Yours sincerely,
Senator Fiona Nash
The Nationals Senator for NSW
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