Qld: Fruit growers say govt policy is natural disaster

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2008
Qld: Fruit growers say govt policy is natural disaster

BRISBANE, Dec 18 AAP - Fruit growers say Queensland needs a system of disaster declarations
to deal with emergencies caused by government decisions.

Stone fruit growers in the Granite Belt region south-west of Brisbane are fuming after
losing 40 to 50 per cent of their crops to flying foxes.

Farmers group Growcom blames the state government, which ended a permit scheme allowing
growers to shoot early-arriving flying foxes, thereby discouraging the rest from settling
on crops.

Growcom chief advocate Mark Panitz said damage is estimated at more than $4 million,
and consumers will suffer through higher prices.

"Previously growers were able to protect their crops by eliminating the early arriving
scout bats which stopped fruit bats settling in the orchards," Mr Panitz said.

"This proved to be an effective and workable solution to controlling the problem in
the past and did not greatly affect overall bat population numbers.

"A number of families could go to the wall because of this.

"If damage of this magnitude occurred because of storms we would see a natural disaster
declared in the region. However, pests do not come under the terms of these declarations.

"Perhaps we should call for a government decision disaster scheme to be set up."

Mr Panitz said Growcom had told the Queensland government 18 months ago of the debacle
which would follow a decision to drop the permit scheme for shooting flying foxes, without
a transition period, on the fruit industry.

"The whole process surrounding the decision to drop the permit scheme has, to date,
been rife with buck-passing and incompetence," he said.

"The government is clearly ignoring the losses to farm food businesses from its decision."

Apple growers are also concerned, with early reports of flying fox damage to unripe fruit.

AAP stg/pjo/nf

KEYWORD: FRUIT

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