Growers monitor Chinese blow-up

TABLELANDS producers are managing to weather the storm caused by the diplomatic row between Australia and China.

Tensions have been brewing since Australia requested an independent inquest into the

origins of COVID-19 and Chinese ambassador Jingye Cheng warning of possible boycotts of Australian products.

Tablelands producers have been hoping for the best but planning for the worst, with FNQ Growers president Joe Moro noting the region’s citrus producers were battling more pressing issues.

“The next 12 months are going to be a period of uncertainty; trade issues don’t help,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s affected confidence, as growers are generally concerned with issues of supply and demand in the domestic market (and) there is a bit of concern that it could spread but we hope not.

“There are some significant exports that go to China – mangoes would be the biggest from this area.”

Advance Cairns executive chairman and Tablelands beef producer Nick Trompf said it was too early to know the impacts of China’s beef decision, but for now it seemed stable.

“The Chinese announcement does not seem to have impacted beef prices in the Far North,” he said. “In fact, one of the processors hit by the Chinese ban, JBS at Ipswich, was at last Tuesday’s Mareeba sale and buying.”

The sugarcane industry has also been keeping an eye on trade relations, but Tablelands Canegrowers Association chairman Claudio Santucci wasn’t concerned.

He said the industry hadn’t been adversely impacted due to a low reliance on exports, but future market opportunities could be at risk.

Hill MP Shane Knuth said Australia needed to diversify and seek other trade possibilities in south-east Asia.