DAFF 'under-estimating fruit, veg import risk'

According to Queensland Senator Ron Boswell it follows testimony to a Senate committee that the calculations currently used to assess risk are likely to seriously under-estimate the true risk of introducing foreign pests and diseases.

The Senate committee – inquiring into the potential impacts of importing pineapples, ginger and potatoes – has formally requested the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry (DAFF) to put pending decisions on hold.

Senator Boswell, who is a committee member, said concerns centred on the so-called Risk Estimation Matrix (REM), a series of calculations used by DAFF Biosecurity to estimate the risk of introducing pests or disease with imported products.

“We received expert evidence that this risk matrix is not a very satisfactory way to assess imports and likely to seriously under-estimate the potential risk of introducing foreign pests and diseases into Australia,” Senator Boswell said in a statement issued to Queensland Country Life.

“As a result, the committee has written to DAFF, requesting that all decisions relating to the importation of pineapples from Malaysia, ginger from Fiji and potatoes from New Zealand be delayed until the Committee has had the opportunity to further explore the issues raised and table its report. We expect to table our report on June 24.”

Senator Boswell said Chris Peace, principal consultant of Risk Management Ltd, had reviewed DAFF Biosecurity’s REM and given evidence before the committee.

“When he appeared before the committee, I asked Mr Peace: ‘Is it your understanding that the Risk Estimation Matrix used by DAFF Biosecurity has a very heavy bias towards negligible, very low or low outcomes? Do you agree?’

“His answer – and this goes to the heart of the issue – his answer was very simple and straightforward. His answer was ‘Yes’. Mr Peace went on to say the matrix as designed is inappropriate for assessing risk and should be redesigned and not relied upon on its own.

“What this means is that, when DAFF Biosecurity considers the risk of introducing foreign pests or diseases through imported fruit and vegetables, the calculations it uses are flawed. In fact, DAFF’s calculations are skewed towards producing a potentially false result that says the risk is negligible or very low.

"So, when DAFF is considering allowing foreign fruit and vegetables into Australia and deciding to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ based on the threat of introducing new pests and diseases into the country, its system is likely to under-estimate the actual risk. Clearly, that is not an acceptable situation.”

Senator Boswell said DAFF should urgently re-examine its method of assessing risk from imported fruit, vegetables and other primary products.

“This is a very important issue," he said. "If Australia is allowing imports into the country based on a false risk assessment – a lower risk assessment than is actually the case – then the situation must be corrected urgently.

“The Committee will make recommendations in its report, to be handed down on June 24, but in the meantime Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig should be telling DAFF to get straight on to this and look at how this flawed system can be fixed.”

The Committee is the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport. It is conducting inquiries into the importation of Malaysian pineapple, Fijian ginger and New Zealand potatoes. It will table a joint report on these three inquiries on June 24.

The committee wrote last Friday, March 22, to the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, requesting all decisions relating to the importation of pineapples from Malaysia, ginger from Fiji and potatoes from New Zealand be delayed until the Committee has had the opportunity to further explore the issues raised and table its report.