Canberra may import PHL cavendish bananas in ’19–DA exec
AN agriculture official expressed optimism on Thursday that homegrown banana fruits would finally enter the Australian market next year following a recent productive round of agricultural talks focused comprehensively on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) concerns of Canberra.
Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel T. Cayanan said the Philippines explained extensively to Australia the current SPS measures undertaken by local banana growers and exporters to address various diseases during the fourth Australia-Philippines
Agriculture forum held on November 28 in Canberra.
Cayanan pointed out that the Philippine currently employ superior banana technologies to address SPS problems compared to Australia.
Among these technologies, according to Cayanan, banana growers eradicate the infestation and spread of black sigatoka disease through plant tissues.
“Their primarily concern is the entry of sigatoka disease, and they are saying that the remedial measures is having five leaves, eight leaves,” he told the BusinessMirror in a recent interview.
“But we are doing the roots. If we see something wrong with the roots, we address it immediately and the plant will not grow anymore,” he added.
Cayanan said the country also conducts deleafing of banana trees should there be visual manifestation of sigatoka disease.
Cayanan added that the Philippine delegation also explained to their Australian counterparts that the use of non-perforated bags results in burning of bananas. The use of non-perforated bags is one of the conditions set by the Australia to allow entry of Philippine cavendish bananas in their local market.
“We are saying that it is close to impossibility. If we are going to use non-perforated bags then it will burn the banana,” he said.
“Bananas naturally ripe itself by acceleration when it gets damaged,” he added.
The Philippines, through the Bureau of the Plant Industry (BPI) and the Philippine Banana Growers and Exporters Association things right,” he said.
(PBGEA), would submit the technical documents “We didn’t just accelerate the talks but we covering the comprehensive SPS measures have made it time-bounded, technology and undertaken by the country to Australia science-based. The negotiations were very within the month, according to Cayanan. good and we are very very happy on how the
Cayanan mentioned that the meeting has negotiations went,” he added. set a six-month time frame—which would Manila is set to host the fifth Philippine Australia be from January to June—for Australia to agriculture forum in 2020. evaluate the documents on whether it would PBGEA Executive Director Stephen A. pass their SPS and quarantine standards. Antig told the BusinessMirror that the
Cayanan said they are optimistic that advancement for the entry of Philippine bananas the Philippines would now overcome the to the Australian market is a welcome SPS concerns set by Australia for the entry development for the local industry. of locally grown bananas fruits, and even “The entry of Philippine bananas to Australia, sees the conclusion of Australia’s evaluation if ever, is a hard-earned victory for earlier than June next year. the industry,” Antig said. “The market is not
“I think we were able to inculcate and that big but getting a foothold in that market to impress to them that we are doing should be welcomed.”
I think we were able to inculcate and to impress to them that we are doing things right. We didn’t just accelerate the talks but we have made it time-bounded, technology and science-based. The negotiations were very good and we are very very happy on how the negotiations went.”—Cayanan