Potato growers are fighting to have the import risk assessment updated before the end of the year.
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Growers put the demand forward in light of a decision made by the state government to approve an import licence to South Australian processor Mitolo Group.
The department granted Mitolo conditional approval to import potatoes into Tasmania. Despite the suggestion made by the TFGA, DPIPWE has not committed to updating the risk assessment by the end of the year.
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The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, which has lobbied on behalf of potato growers on the issue, met with the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment last week.
At that meeting, the TFGA put forward a series of different conditions, including the time deadline for the IRA, that it hoped the department would meet to show it was managing the heightened biosecurity risk.
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The demands put forward by the TFGA include:
- An enhanced inspection regime for the importation of fresh potatoes, in addition to the Ransom recommendations into Tasmania until the completion of the review of the Import Risk Assessment (IRA)
- The proposed timeline for the IRA review is truncated to be completed by the end of 2020
- That all current disease area freedom status in Tasmania be reaffirmed as a component of the review
- That all necessary resources that are required by Biosecurity Tasmania and TIA to help the industry collate all virus testing data into a central database to address the concerns around area freedom be provided
- That labelling of imported product with a "state of origin" label in addition to the "do not plant" label
A spokeswoman from DPIPWE said the department was actively engaged with the TFGA on these matters.
"The matters the TFGA raised will be considered in updated the import risk assessment," they said.
"The department has committed to a review of the IRA for potatoes and industry representatives are invited to participate in the full IRA review in its early stages."
However, the department did not confirm if it would stick to the timeline suggested by the TFGA, nor did it say if it would accept the other demands.
A TFGA spokesman said while the industry didn't want to impede free trade, the risks were causing concern among potato growers.
"The review of the IRA will, in the view of our members, provide certainty moving forward and ensure a contemporary environment in which to operate in the potato industry," they said.
A review into the Mitolo lease decision upheld the approval given by DPIPWE.