GRAIN grower groups have urged government to be cautious when weighing up whether to allow grain imports into the country for the first time since 2007.
The calls came as the Department of Agriculture confirmed there had been three applications to import grain, from Canada and the US, into the country.
The applications have been made as the domestic market struggles to get its hands on local supply due to the long-running drought.
Grain grower leaders, however, questioned the need for imports.
Grain Producers Australia (GPA) chairman Andrew Weidemann said international exports should only be a last resort due to biosecurity concerns.
“Whether or not there is the grain on the coast or not is a moot point, and I am hearing plenty of people saying the grain is here it is just that people don’t want to pay the price on offer, but if it does turn out there is no grain then surely we look to Western Australia first,” Mr Weidemann said.
“Why take the risk of international imports when you know there is product from another part of Australia without that risk.”
“We know there have been biosecurity breaches in the past with imported grain and we are concerned about the potential for that happening again.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said whole grain had been imported previously during droughts in 1994-95, 2002-03 and 2006-07.
The spokesperson said along with the applications to import whole grain there had also been a flurry of interest in gaining permission to bring in processed stock feeds, such as soybean meal, sugar beet pulp pellets and dried distillers grains that have been sufficiently processed to meet biosecurity requirements.
“Over the last two months, there has been increase in interest for processed stockfeed with a resultant increase in application numbers,” the spokesperson said.
In terms of whole grain permits, the spokesperson said the processes were underway but no applications had been approved as yet.
Any whole grain imported must be stored and processed in metropolitan areas to minimise the biosecurity risk, with the movement of unprocessed grain into rural areas forbidden.
The Department of Agriculture website lists potential pests and diseases that could be inadvertently imported with grain coming in.
These include not only grain pests, such as exotic strains of fungal diseases like karnal bunt but also lethal livestock diseases like transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, like mad cow disease, and foot and mouth disease.
NSW Farmers’ grains committee chair, Matthew Madden said with production likely to be well down in his state growers were anxious to ensure that the state’s reputation for growing high-quality, disease free grain was not jeopardised in a rush to import grain from other states and overseas.
“NSW Farmers wants assurances from authorities that they will vigilantly enforce strict protocols established around the importation of grain to protect our industry’s biosecurity and reputation,” Mr Madden said.
VFF grains group president Ross Johns also called for caution.
“While the VFF is not opposed to grain imports, imported fodder and grain can pose a significant biosecurity risk to both the grains and livestock industries,” Mr Johns said.
“For example, foot and mouth disease was introduced into Japan by imported fodder,” he said.
“The VFF is urging extreme caution in relation to grains imported into Australia, and is steadfastly opposed to any changes to biosecurity or import protocols which would diminish current requirements.
“In particular, we must not allow grain to be imported into Australia from countries which are known to have a biosecurity risk not present here.
“A biosecurity incursion could cause immeasurable damage to Australia’s multi-billion dollar agriculture industry.”