NT Pomelo Growers Warn of Vietnam Imports, Citrus Canker Threat

The Northern Territory's tropical fruit industry is worried the pending importation of pomelo from Vietnam will force local growers out of the market and risk the reintroduction of citrus canker to the region. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry last year recommended pomelo imports from all commercial production areas in Vietnam be permitted, subject to a range of biosecurity requirements. Tropical Primary Products farm manager Han Shiong Siah is busy harvesting the citrus fruit in Darwin's rural area. He said imports would flood the market and bring the price of his product down. He said there was significant biosecurity risk regarding citrus canker, a bacterial disease that destroyed thousands of plants in the Northern Territory in a three-year outbreak, before it was eradicated in 2021. "We're concerned the imports from Vietnam will inundate our industry with their pomelos," he said. "[Citrus canker is] prevalent over there … we do not want it in Australia." Dragon fruit industry challenges Citrus Australia in 2023 estimated annual pomelo production to be 1,000 tonnes across Far North Queensland, the Murray Valley region in New South Wales and Victoria, the South Australian Riverland region and the NT. Government data shows Australia imported more than 3,800 tonnes of pomelo from the USA, Israel, Spain and New Zealand from 2015-2024, and had Vietnamese production at nearly 1 million tonnes in 2022. Mr Siah said local dragon fruit producers had been negatively impacted by Vietnamese imports in 2017 and feared his pomelo operations would be unviable in the future. Darwin dragon fruit grower Liza Nguyen said the sector had been seriously impacted by imports, and the financial cost had almost led to her family selling their farm. "We did put it up on the market, one farm obviously closed down here in the NT and we're pretty much the only one growing now in the NT," she said. "It's very difficult for growers to compete with the imported, because they come in [with a] much cheaper price and we can't compete. "We've seen it in dragon fruit, it's going to be the same with pomelo." Vietnam an important trading partner Industry group Citrus Australia last month said Vietnamese pomelo imports posed an "unacceptable biosecurity risk" unless strong prevention measures were implemented, but has since softened its stance after meeting with the agriculture department. Chief executive Nathan Hancock said the body had wanted a "more technical review" earlier in the process, but was hopeful the message had gotten through. "We do feel that the department's listened to our concerns, and we're hoping that they will take on some of our mitigations and recommendations," he said. Mr Hancock said he understood growers' concerns about market pressure, but said imports were an inevitable result of Vietnam's status as an important trading partner. "The citrus industry is one that benefits a lot from exporting ourselves and being in a free-trade arrangement, we have to take the ups and the downs," he said. Biosecurity front of mind A Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry spokesperson said the government would never compromise on biosecurity, and pomelos from Vietnam would not arrive until import conditions were finalised. "The department's independent scientific and technical experts have undertaken a rigorous, science-based assessment on the importation of pomelo from Vietnam," the spokesperson said. "Australia will only accept measures that manage the biosecurity risk to Australia's appropriate level of protection."