In short:
The federal government is undertaking a risk assessment after India and Indonesia applied to export pineapples to Australia.
Australian growers were left with fewer pineapples after a mass natural flowering event ripened fruit prematurely.
What’s next?
The draft report from the federal government will be released next year for public consultation.
Whether they are on the barbecue, in a fritter at your favourite takeaway, or fresh in a fruit salad, pineapples are synonymous with a tropical Australian summer.
But an undersupply in the domestic market after a tumultuous few years has piqued the interest of international growers.
India and Indonesia have applied to export their de-crowned crop of the fresh fruit to Australia.
While that could lead to cheaper fruit amid a cost-of-living crisis, Australian farmers warn the savings may not outweigh the risks.
Over and undersupplied
A mass natural flowering event early in 2023 caused a glut of pineapples on the Australian market, where tonnes of fresh fruit was left to rot in fields as farmers could not pick as fast as they ripened.
It takes two years to grow a pineapple, and after the glut growers were left with fewer pineapples than planned, causing an undersupply.
Growers like John Cranny who farms at Bungundarra near Yeppoon in central Queensland, around 700 kilometres north of Brisbane, have been fetching high prices since.
“The price has actually increased, which is a sensational change,” Mr Cranny said.
The federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is undertaking a biosecurity risk assessment to allow the import of fresh pineapples from India and Indonesia.
If approved it could mean cheaper pineapples for consumers, but Australian farmers are concerned at what cost.
Mr Cranny said “a lot of countries” had lower wages and paid less for input costs, including pesticides and fertiliser, all of which have risen since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If [imported pineapples] come in at a competitive price to ours, or a similar price to ours, then the consumer will choose on quality,” he said.
“If it comes in at a significantly cheaper price to ours, consumers will choose on price.
“Hopefully our quality will withstand it and be superior to any imports.”
With free trade agreements in place, fresh pineapples from India and Indonesia sold in Australia would have no tariffs applied.
Under international obligations as part of its risk assessment, the agriculture department cannot consider the potential economic impact of market competition or the net national benefit resulting from imports.
Fresh fruit imports
Australia’s pineapple industry is relatively self-contained, with only a small amount of fresh fruit imported or exported.
Most pineapples consumed in the country are grown in Queensland year round with peak production in spring — leading to the industry’s spooky pines campaign which encourages Australians to carve a pineapple for Halloween.
In the 2021-’22 season around 72,000 tonnes of pineapple were grown in Australia, valued at $50.6 million.
By comparison, India produces around 1.8 million tonnes of pineapples each year, and Indonesia 2.9 million tonnes.
It is unknown how many pineapples India or Indonesia would export to Australia.
It is not the first time the federal government has considered such an application with fresh, de-crowned pineapples able to be imported from the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand — though trade has been minimal.
An agriculture department spokesperson said as a World Trade Organization member, Australia has an obligation to assess import requests and then develop the least restrictive and scientifically justified import conditions.
“While we have free trade agreements with India and Indonesia, all countries must still formally request market access for fresh products as they may present a biosecurity risk,” the spokesperson said.
Pest and disease risk
Importing fresh fruit increases the risk of pests and diseases entering Australia.
Pests of concern such as scale insects, mealy bugs, and thrips, are known to exist in India and Indonesia.
Industry body Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Growers (QFVG) said pests can hide in pineapple crowns, and while the imported pineapples would have their tops removed, the crown grows into the core of the pineapple lower than what is cut off.
“It would be an absolute travesty if we go through this and anything is enabled into the country,” said the group’s Angela Williams.
Growers and industry representatives met with representatives from the agriculture department at the industry’s Pineapple Field Day event in Townsville at the end of July to discuss its biosecurity concerns as part of the risk assessment process.
“We need to go into a lot of depth,” Ms Williams said.
“We have done that before … and we will do it again.”
The government said the biosecurity risk assessment is scheduled to be published in the first half of 2025 and will then be open for 60 days of public consultation.
Once the final report is published the department will only issue import permits to those who can meet the trade conditions.
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