Natural assets in jeopardy

AGRICULTURE, Fisheries and Forestry Minister John McVeigh and Environment and Heritage Protection Minister Andrew Powell have vowed to stand up to Canberra over its plans to allow fresh imports of Malaysian pineapples and Fijian ginger.

Both ministers met with pineapple growers and agronomists at Beerwah last week to discuss concerns with the Federal Government's release of import risk analysis reports on pineapples and ginger.

Mr McVeigh said Queensland had been Australia's major pineapple producer for a century.

"Allowing these imports could devastate the industry by allowing in exotic diseases like bacterial heart rot and fruit collapse," Mr McVeigh said.

"We must ensure our pineapple industry is not threatened by diseases from imported pineapples.

"If the worst happens, like it has in Hawaii, crop losses would be huge and local jobs will be lost."

Growcom pineapple industry development officer Cherie Gambley said bacterial fruit collapse was a devastating disease affecting pineapples across Malaysia.

"This disease is undetectable in its latent phase and currently untreatable," Ms Gambley said.

"If it establishes in Australia, it will be highly damaging to our iconic pineapple industry."

Mr Powell said pineapple growers were a key part of the region's history and future.

"This industry is worth $80 million annually and underpins 1000 jobs on farms and in the supply chain in Queensland during the peak season," he said.

"The farmers don't want their livelihoods jeopardised.

"It's not good enough," Mr Powell said.