Fears of exploding pineapples and crumbling industry if government allows imported fruit

Campaigners have invoked fears of exploding pineapples in their fight to prevent the federal government from allowing additional imports to disrupt the $80 million domestic industry.

Labor is considering whether to allow pineapple imports from India and Indonesia, but growers are raise biosecurity concerns about the potential introduction of foreign pests and diseases.

Nationals Leader Matt Canavan on Wednesday singled out the possibility of local produce becoming infected by bacterial heart and fruit rot disease – also known as exploding pineapple disease.

“I don’t know about others, but I don’t really want my pineapples to explode on my kitchen table. Doesn’t sound very good,” he told reporters in Canberra.

Exploding pineapple disease can be found in Malaysia, the Philippines, parts of Indonesia, Brazil, Costa Rice and Hawaii.

It leads to a build-up of liquid and bubbles caused by fermentation, producing rotten-smelling liquid, infecting nearby plants, and, in some cases when the liquid and gas cannot escape, causing pineapples to explode.

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While not harmful to human health, there is no cure for the plants infected by the disease, and the bacteria can survive in the soil for months.

Strains of the bacteria were detected in Queensland and the Northern Territory in 2015 but cases were not as severe as what has been reported overseas.

Australia currently allows fresh, de-crowned pineapples to be imported from the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Taiwan, a list set to be soon joined by Malaysia.

India and Indonesia have both requested access to sell pineapples in Australia under existing trade rules, which has raised concerns at the heartland of the nation’s pineapple production in Queensland.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has assessed the risks and released a draft report that notes the fruit could be safely imported under strict biosecurity requirements.

Canavan, however, warned that the risk is too great if the disease spreads in Australia.

“It’ll only take one pineapple from India or Indonesia to have a terrible disease that then could devastate a whole pineapple industry, costing thousands of jobs in this country, putting hundreds of Australian farming families to the wall,” he said.

“And also, of course, making Australian consumers have to rely on imported pineapples rather than enjoying great fresh Australian produce.”

Canavan appeared alongside pineapple growers at Parliament House in Canberra to announce he would send Labor members fresh pineapple juice this week in a stunt that hopes to encourage them to abandon any move to grant India and Indonesia access to the domestic market.

Will Oakes, a fourth-generation Golden Valley Ag farmer from the Sunshine Coast, told reporters his industry deserves a fair go.

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“We’re concerned about some of the pests that are present over in these countries and pests that aren’t present here in Australia,” he said.

“We want to make sure that DAFF is doing a reasonable and practical assessment, and making sure that the conditions that are being put forward can be achieved on farm, not just in the laboratory.”

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins assured growers that the government will not compromise on biosecurity.

“The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is undertaking a rigorous, science-based process,” she said.

“It does not mean that trade will occur, or that it is imminent.

“We have delivered more than $2 billion in additional funding to strengthen our frontline defences and protect Australian farmers.”