Australian banana growers are urging the Federal Government’s technical team to look beyond carefully managed farm visits, with an expected trip to the Philippines late this month.

The visit is part of the current import risk analysis (IRA) assessing whether fresh Cavendish bananas from the Philippines could be imported into Australia. The team will review production practices to determine whether the country can meet Australia’s Appropriate Level of Protection (ALOP).

However, growers say the stakes are far higher than what may be presented during a short, curated visit.

The current analysis focuses on three key pathogens: Moko, black Sigatoka and banana freckle. Australia remains free of Moko and black Sigatoka and has successfully contained banana freckle.

In fact, Australian growers operate without many of the major diseases that impact global production systems, something they say must not be taken for granted.

Chair of the Banana Imports Committee, Paul Inderbitzin, said the industry is concerned the visit may not reflect the full picture.

“We know the technical team will be shown the best of the best,” Mr Inderbitzin, who grows bananas in Far North Queensland, said.

“The question is whether those same standards can be guaranteed across every farm that may seek to export to Australia.”

He warned that the diseases currently under assessment represent only part of the risk.

“Moko and black Sigatoka are just the starting point. When you add threats like blood disease, banana skipper butterfly and banana bract mosaic virus, the risk profile changes significantly,” he said.

“That’s before you consider hitchhiker pests or other pathogens that could impact not just bananas, but Australia’s broader agricultural environment.”

The Banana Imports Committee has welcomed the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ decision to include both a banana technical expert and a tropical plant pathologist in the delegation.

However, Mr Inderbitzin said expertise alone cannot eliminate the inherent uncertainty.

“This is a positive step, but the reality is the risk can’t be fully mitigated or guaranteed,” he said.

“For growers, the bottom line is simple: once a serious disease is here, there’s no going back.”

• More information on blood disease: click here
• More information on banana skipper butterfly: click here
• More information on banana bract mosaic virus: click here