Subsidised Vietnamese fruit killing prices for local growers

Mareeba fruit growers told Member for Kennedy Bob Katter they are furious with the Federal Government for allowing Vietnamese pomelos into Australia when the local picking season is in full swing.

Prices have dropped due to the influx of individually plastic-wrapped fruit especially packed in Vietnam for the Australian market.

Grower Zoran Priznic said he was getting $5.00 a kilo for his quality fruit but was advised by his Melbourne agent that prices had dropped to $3 due to imports.

“How can we compete against their low wages and the plastic-wrapped fruit when we are not allowed to use plastic?” the 20 year old farmer asked.

The Priznic farm east of Mareeba has a tremendous crop of pomelos this season and after a collapse of the lime market the family farmers thought they could recoup some losses with their pomelos.

Farmer Debbie Caamano said they had not touched their pomelos this year. “They are on the ground,” she said.

FNQ Growers representative Ebony Faichney said that imported limes from Vietnam could soon be competing against local fruit which would worsen the already over-supplied market.

“Pineapples and bananas could be the next imports which would affect local growers.”

Taking onboard the adverse effect of imports, Bob Katter said he had been fighting against all varieties of imported fruit for more than a decade.

“How do we compete against government support for Vietnamese growers? The last time I looked they get a lot of help,” Mr Katter said.

“There are only two countries I can find that get no agricultural subsidies and they are Australia and New Zealand.

“How do you explain that Australia now depends on overseas farmers for 42 per cent of its fruit and vegetables?

“We can make representation to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and there’s a chance they might stop it for a month and have a look at it, that’s the way we will look at it but I don’t want to raise your hopes yet.

“We will get a Question on Notice in parliament and that means the government will have to officially answer that question.”

Tina Caamano said their farming activities had been hit hard by the cost of freight with fuel and fertiliser doubling in price.

“This has added $200 to $300 per tonne to freight, fertiliser has gone up and the amount that’s available in Australia is dropping quickly,” Ms Caamano said.

“Nothing comes down that quickly and we are stuck with high prices for a while.”

Vietnamese fruit growers receive subsidies, primarily in the form of input support, such as fertilizer and irrigation assistance. Local authorities provide financial incentives for establishing crops, specialized training in fruit cultivation techniques, and support for adopting VietGAP (Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices) standards.