Aussie ban on bananas to be challenged by RP

After failing to release import risk analysis on Philippine bananas last month, the Philippine government is set to file a protest against Australia at the World Trade Organization.

Department of Agriculture-7 director Eduardo Lecciones said the Philippine Government will now push through with the protest against Australia for unfair trading in continuously implementing the ban on the Philippine bananas.

Lecciones said the Philippines had been importing bulk and millions of dollars worth of animal and dairy products as well as fruits such as grapes, pears and apples from Australia yearly yet the Australian government had continued to sidetrack trade negotiations involving Philippine fruit bananas, including pineapple since these fruit compete with local products.

Lecciones said the Philippine government had been holding in abeyance the protest after Australia's Agriculture Department and Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, through Biosecurity Australia, promised to release the import risk analysis last month.

The same agency, reversed it's import risk analysis two years ago which assesses the risk of a disease from imported farm products following the strong opposition by the Australian Banana Growers Council.

It would have finally allowed banana imports from the Philippines.

Lecciones said DA Secretary Domingo Panganiban sent Undersecretary for planning Segfredo Serrano to Geneva to discuss the issue with the WTO officials.

Lecciones said the DA top officials are consulting the Advocacy Center on WTO Law to determine the proper approach reviving the fruit trade case with Australia before the WTO.

Earlier, the Department was pushing the fruit trade with Australia under a renewed bilateral negotiation in the wake of a cyclone that damaged most of its banana plantations.

Despite the damage sustained by the banana plantations due to the cyclone, the Australian Banana Growers Council has still exerted pressure on the agency to continue it's "no Philippine bananas" policy.

For now Lecciones said, Australia had selectedly raised its ban on the Philippine pineapples as they slowly accepts pineapples without crowns. - Ferliza C. Contratista