Despite the uncertain future of multilateral free trade agreement the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Tasmanian Fruit Industry Strategic Plan looks as though it will not be adversely affected.
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The plan, funded jointly by the Hodgman government and Fruit Growers Tasmania, was conceived as a means of furthering the Tasmanian fruit industry’s development through to 2020.
One of the key focuses of the plan was expanding the sector’s export markets.
Primary Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff said while it would be “disappointing” if the TPP fell through, Tasmanians could be “assured” that the state government would endeavour to grow domestic and international export markets, regardless.
Fruit Growers Tasmania business development manager Phil Pyke said the TFISP was devised before the future of the TPP was in doubt.
But he said Australia’s bilateral trade agreements with Asian countries would be sufficient to achieve the plan’s long-term objectives.
“Bilateral arrangements with China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand are where Tasmania gets its export growth from, particularly with apples and cherries, and, hopefully, berries down the track,” he said.
However, in the event that the TPP does not eventuate, Mr Pyke said the federal government would likely be required to expand into protocol markets - in other words, markets that impose strict import regulations on all incoming produce.
“That’s time-consuming, particularly if there’s technical work that needs to be done around pest diseases, integrated pest management, a whole range of treatment of fruit,” he said.
Mr Pyke said he suspected the Tasmanian government would train their focus on Asian markets for fruit exports.
“China’s a great market, but we need to focus also on Japan and Korea as emerging markets under the new free trade agreements,” Mr Pyke said.
He said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a kind of TPP alternative which China was spearheading, would potentially have “other advantages” for Australia.
Opposition primary industries spokeswoman Rebecca White said Labor “backed” the objectives outlined in the TFISP.
“While the Trans Pacific Partnership appears unlikely to go ahead, it is just one of a number of trading opportunities that Tasmanian growers can benefit from,” Ms White said.
