Australia: Banana growers fear for their future

The future of banana growing at Uralba is uncertain as brothers Ian and Warren Simpson wait to see the impact of the Federal Government’s decision to allow fruit from the Philippines to be imported into Australia.

Ian Simpson said farming was an ‘uncertain’ industry at the best of times, but this decision added another ‘thorn’ to their family business established 28 years ago, which turns over about $700,000 annually.

He said he had concerns about the standards the Filipino bananas and banana growers would have to meet.

“We have regulations to abide with. What’s their regulations? None of us seem to know,” he said.

He also said the importers will have control of the industry, and could potentially price small local growers out of business, and later jack the prices up.

Ian said many banana growers from the famous banana-growing region of Coffs Harbour region had already sold up as they couldn’t compete with the large plantations in North Queensland, which the major supermarket chains were drawn to.

Ian and Warren Simpson have been growing bananas on 18.2 hectares of Uralba hillside land since 1980.




Source: ballinaadvocate.com.au


Publication date: 4/2/2009