Flavell Fruit Sales Submission
Flavell Fruit Sales
Stentiford Road, Forest Range SA 5139
PH: (08) 8389 8519
Fax: (08) 8389 8579
Email: admin@flavells.com.au
A.B.N. 73 007 963 699
Dear Sir,
We are writing to you regarding the proposal to allow apples to be imported to Australia from New Zealand.
Firstly I would say we are fully behind the submission that A.P.A.L. is making to your organization. It is just unbelievable that we as a sovereign nation would hand our quarantine to another country. We have been involved in exporting to other countries, including much of Europe and Asia for many years and have never heard of a protocol like this. It is even stricter and harder to meet, in some countries that do not have an Apple or Pear growing industry. Our understanding is that any country that has allowed the import of apples from a country with Fire blight will eventually get it themselves.
We run a packing shed and we defy anyone to guarantee that a line is 100% trash free. All it takes is one small twig to remain on an apple and this could transfer Fire blight to Australia. This is becoming more so as the packing lines are becoming more and more automated.
We feel that at least 2 inspections should be done per season and if any evidence of Fire blight symptoms are found, that property should be excluded from exporting to Australia that season.
Imagine the outcry if foot and mouth regulations were relaxed to the same degree!!!!
Also a more rigorous approach needs to be taken on inspections – 600 fruit per lot, needs to be 600fruit per grower per lot to ensure a sample clean from trash is guaranteed.
I think your department needs to understand that our livelihoods are at stake with this proposal. Our industry employs thousands of people and if these diseases were to get into this country it would lead to devastation of this industry.
We would urge you to reconsider the draft proposal and put one in place that at least gives us a reasonable chance to be still growing and supplying quality fruit to all Australians.
Yours Sincerely Glyndon & Phillip Flavell
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