Apple growers could push for WTO action

Apple growers could urge the Government to take an immediate case to the World Trade Organisation over the Australian import ban without waiting for an approval process that could take two years.

Upset at the prospect of Australian quarantine officers "turning over every leaf" in orchards searching for diseases, they warn they may not wait for the full approval process.

Biosecurity Australia released its 600-page draft import risk analysis on Thursday.

The report recommends allowing access for Kiwi apples to all but Western Australia with conditions so strict they may amount to a trade barrier.

One of the proposed conditions - disinfection in chlorine - may even burn the fruit's skin.

The ban on New Zealand apples has been in place since 1921 because of Australian fears of fire blight disease.

Pipfruit NZ chief executive Peter Beaven said a taskforce of scientists, and industry and Government representatives would study the report in detail and one outcome might be inviting the Government to go to the WTO.

"I don't want to prejudge what that group is going to decide, but one of the things that's clearly going to be on the table is inviting the Government to commence WTO action forthwith."

Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said the WTO was an option but the full complaint process would take longer than Biosecurity Australia's process. The WTO may also require the Government to go back and complete the Australian process.

Mr Beaven said it was hard not to read the report as a trade barrier. "How could we have expected the Australians to have given us anything else but an underarm?"

The analysis proposes a raft of conditions to protect against four types of diseases and insects, with fire blight bacteria the main target. To combat fire blight, orchard inspections and disinfecting apples in packing houses with chlorine are proposed, but Mr Beaven said both measures were unnecessary after the WTO found in 2003 in a similar dispute between Japan and the United States that mature apples did not spread fire blight.

He said the conditions also contemplated another inspection of export orchards for European canker fungus. Australian quarantine officers would do them - at growers' expense.

"It raises the spectre of legions of these people stomping all over our orchards, turning over every leaf and examining every twig for any evidence, and the moment they find one strike, you're out."

NZ First primary production spokesman Doug Woolerton called for Parliament to unite to end the ban. He supported suggestions the WTO be asked to intervene. The ban, under the pretext of a fire blight risk, amounted to unfair trade practices.

Mr Anderton said the Government filed a complaint with a WTO committee mid-year, which was already embarrassing for Australia.


Australia's conditions for importing New Zealand apples:
* Fire blight bacteria: Orchard inspections, chlorine disinfection of fruit in packing houses.
* Leafcurling midge: Inspection of 3000-apple random samples.
* European canker fungus: Orchard inspections.
* Leafroller insect: Inspections of 600-fruit sample