Group condemns 'racist' fruit importation quarantine policy

Australia is doing for the United States something it is not willing to do for the Philippines -- a simultaneous processing of export applications.

Australia is currently conducting simultaneous pest risk analysis on three American fruits -- almonds, Florida grapefruit, and grapes -- in violation of its alleged existing quarantine policy, but refuses to do a similar move on Philippine fruits, according to the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food (PCAFI).

PCAFI on Thursday branded as "racist and discriminatory" Australia's refusal to fast-track the sanitary testing of local bananas and pineapple so that these fruits can enter the Australian market.

It said that unless Australian officials learn to be more flexible and consistent, Manila and Canberra may be headed for a more bitter agricultural trade war.

PCAFI, composed of several agribusiness organizations and companies, said that while Australia continues to deny the Philippines' request for Canberra to simultaneously process applications to import fresh bananas and pineapples due to its so-called policy of handling only one import risk analysis per country at one time, it broke its own policy when it gave in to a similar request from the United States.

During recent talks with officials of the Department of Agriculture, a high-level Australian delegation led by David Spencer, deputy secretary for foreign affairs and trade, insisted on a sequential processing of the Philippine applications to export mangoes, bananas, and pineapples, citing resource contraints.

The Philippine group, on the one hand, said it wants nothing less than a simultaneous processing to speed up the process.

"This act of Australia is not only discriminatory and unfair to Filipinos," he said. "It also smacks of racism because while they can accede to the request of their white American brothers, they remain unbending when it comes to brown-skinned Asians like us," he added.

Such a sentiment is shared by at least 12 lawmakes. House assistant majority floorleader Aniceto Saludo Jr. and Reps. Ranjit Shahani, Simeon Datumanong, Simeon Kintanar, Victor Sumulong, Ronald Cosalan, Ruy Elias Lopez, Rolex Suplico, Augusto Baculio, Allen Quimpo, Edgar Mendoza, and emerito Calderon condemned yesterday Australia's unfair treatment of Filipinos and called on the government to respond appropriately.

They said Agriculture Secretary Edgardo Angara's move to restrict Australian farm imports should be fully supported, adding that President Estrada should mobilize the trade and foreign affairs department to vigorously pursue the complaint against Australia before the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Agriculture officials said Australia's slow and tedious fruit import quarantine process had effectively curbed the entry of Philippine fruit exports, thereby exacerbating the worsening trade imbalance titled strongly in Canberra's favor.

Australia exported over $400 million worth of farm products to the country last year, while it bought less than $23 million worth of Philippine agricutural commodities, resulting in a trade gap amounting to over $300 million, government trade figures show.