RP wants other fumigant for fruit exports to Australia

The Philippine government will push for an alternative fumigant to be used on its tropical fruits intended for export to Australia.

Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. will initiate a bilateral summit with Australian Agriculture Minister Warren Truss this year to discuss a long standing dispute over the latter’s refusal to allow the entry of Philippine bananas and pineapples.

Australia has been insisting on the use of methyl bromide which most countries have outlawed. On the other hand, the Philippines wants to use hydro cyanic fumigant which has been accepted by New Zealand and Japan.

For almost 10 years now, Australia has been blocking Philippine pineapples, saying its acceptance rests on the country agreeing to de-crown the fruit and subjecting it to pre-shipment methyl bromide fumigation.

But Philippine agriculture and quarantine officials said this would be commercial suicide because such method will accelerate the deterioration of the fruit.

Australia is also preventing Philippine bananas from penetrating its domestic market, saying this will infest its local banana plantations.

Philippine agriculture authorities said Australia has to justify why it wants to use methyl bromide to fumigative pineapples when the substance has been banned in other countries.

"Besides, the use of hydro cyanic fumigant is safer and more environment-friendly," said a source from the Bureau of Plant Industry.

Australia’s stubbornness has driven a diplomatic wedge between the two countries and observers say the situation could deteriorate into a full-blown trade war especially since the Philippines already made concrete steps to elevate the issue to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Lorenzo said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has done all the preparatory work needed to file before the WTO of a motion to constitute a panel at its dispute settlement board.

Last year, the DA submitted two letters to David Herbert Spencer, Australian Ambassador to the WTO, raising questions on the quarantine laws and the measures affecting the importation of fresh pineapple fruit, fresh fruits and vegetables.

The DA said Austalia’s Quarantine Act is inconsistent with the obligation or Australia under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary or Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), and the agreement on Import Licensing Procedures.