The Philippines is compelled to seek for alternative market for its bananas after Australia kept its restrictive position against banana imports even after more than 10 years since government sought for this trade.

The Bureau of Plant Industry is seeking a relief from the decision of Australia to effectively keep its ban against Philippine bananas.

Biosecurity Australia, quarantine and pest risk analysis agency of Australia, has raised in its final import risk analysis (IRA) report seven quarantine concerns against importation of Philippine bananas.

These include importation only from farms that show "low pest prevalence, stringent measures that involve Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service inspectors being present even in the field and packing houses in the Philippines."

The other impositions are detailed data and documentation to be provided by the Philippines for consideration by Australia prior to any export which will be used for verification and validation of quarantine measures undertaken by laboratory and field experiments and commercial trials.

Authorities said the Philippines should find alternative markets in other Asia-Pacific countries and the Middle East in order to make up for the ban from Australia.

However, BPI Director Joel Rudinas said the country’s banana has already accessed the highly-discriminating markets of South Korea, China, New Zealand and the Middle East.

It is estimated that Australia’s market for banana may reach $ 50 million a year as Australian banana production is placed at 270,000 metric tons planted on 14,000 hectares.

Australian farmers have a very strong lobby against Philippine bananas considering the country’s obvious robust cost competitiveness that has made it one of world’s top five banana exporters.

The country has demonstrated high banana productivity with 234 metric tons (MT) per hectare yield compared to Australia’s 19.3 MT per hectare. The Philippines has 32,000 hectares of banana land that produce a total of 7.5 million MT. Australia plants banana on 14,000 hectares with total production of 270,000 MT.