jackovesk
11th November 2011, 10:43
http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/111104/nzfood630_17b71e0-17b71e6.jpg?x=200&y=100&xc=1&yc=1&wc=629&hc=315&q=70&sig=7l5qEQLuX3Ev6.VcbBtdNg--
Back Door Food Imports..!
November 4, 2011
New Zealand has become the back door for Asian produce to get here, and the process is raising further concerns for the health of Australian shoppers and farmers.
We hate losing to them on the sporting field, but when it comes to business there's no competition, and we're copping a hammering.
Now, thanks to a loosening of quarantine laws, the Kiwis are enjoying a free kick.
Apple growers can expect a $130 million hit this year, thanks to food imports from China and New Zealand.
Now avocados growers are facing oblivion thanks to cheaper Kiwi imports, and our major grocery chains turning their backs on Australian farmers.
New South Wales avocado grower Christina Culross’ livelihood is on the line thanks to the obsession of grocery chains to keep dropping prices.
http://l.yimg.com/ao/grocers500.jpg
She's calling on the public to reject the imported Kiwi avocados and send a message to Government and supermarkets.
According to Culross, in two weeks’ time, every supermarket in the eastern states would have switched to New Zealand fruit. “We're still picking for the next few weeks, and there are plenty of other growers in New South Wales who will be picking until Christmas,” she said.
“So to put it in perspective ... this year is a bumper crop for us. We hope to produce 90,000 trays of avocados and New Zealand are exporting three million trays to Australia between September and January, so we are up against a tsunami of avocados.”
Today Tonight's latest food stories
Ausbuy’s Lynne Wilkinson says Australian consumers are being duped, and calls on all the supermarket chains to be upfront and declare the real reasons they're stocking New Zealand avocados instead of home-grown varieties.
“These imports are coming in when our dollar is high, so they're cheap, they're probably subsidised by their own Governments, and the consumer is not necessarily going to get the benefit. The retailer is probably going to take the profit difference between buying an Australian good and a cheap import,” Wilkinson said.
“There seems to be a lot of food coming in from New Zealand (but) New Zealand doesn't actually grow as much as is coming out of it. Our manufacturers (like Heinz and McCains) have closed here, to open factories there. So they're no longer sourcing from our farmers, they're sourcing from New Zealand, or the product is coming in from China and being processed to New Zealand.”
Two thirds of the frozen vegetables in fridges are now sourced from foreign investors.
Coles claims to be stocking avocados in their Western Australia and South Australia stores but due to supply shortages they have to import New Zealand avocados. Woolworths claim to stock avocados in their South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland stores.
Not good enough, says Ausbuy.
New Zealanders would export their own 'Mother in Law' and the Govt. would pay them for it..!
Frozen Vegetables from 'NZ' laced with 'Toxic Chemicals'..!
Click link to (SEE VIDEO)
http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/consumer/article/-/11350566/back-door-food-imports
Back Door Food Imports..!
November 4, 2011
New Zealand has become the back door for Asian produce to get here, and the process is raising further concerns for the health of Australian shoppers and farmers.
We hate losing to them on the sporting field, but when it comes to business there's no competition, and we're copping a hammering.
Now, thanks to a loosening of quarantine laws, the Kiwis are enjoying a free kick.
Apple growers can expect a $130 million hit this year, thanks to food imports from China and New Zealand.
Now avocados growers are facing oblivion thanks to cheaper Kiwi imports, and our major grocery chains turning their backs on Australian farmers.
New South Wales avocado grower Christina Culross’ livelihood is on the line thanks to the obsession of grocery chains to keep dropping prices.
http://l.yimg.com/ao/grocers500.jpg
She's calling on the public to reject the imported Kiwi avocados and send a message to Government and supermarkets.
According to Culross, in two weeks’ time, every supermarket in the eastern states would have switched to New Zealand fruit. “We're still picking for the next few weeks, and there are plenty of other growers in New South Wales who will be picking until Christmas,” she said.
“So to put it in perspective ... this year is a bumper crop for us. We hope to produce 90,000 trays of avocados and New Zealand are exporting three million trays to Australia between September and January, so we are up against a tsunami of avocados.”
Today Tonight's latest food stories
Ausbuy’s Lynne Wilkinson says Australian consumers are being duped, and calls on all the supermarket chains to be upfront and declare the real reasons they're stocking New Zealand avocados instead of home-grown varieties.
“These imports are coming in when our dollar is high, so they're cheap, they're probably subsidised by their own Governments, and the consumer is not necessarily going to get the benefit. The retailer is probably going to take the profit difference between buying an Australian good and a cheap import,” Wilkinson said.
“There seems to be a lot of food coming in from New Zealand (but) New Zealand doesn't actually grow as much as is coming out of it. Our manufacturers (like Heinz and McCains) have closed here, to open factories there. So they're no longer sourcing from our farmers, they're sourcing from New Zealand, or the product is coming in from China and being processed to New Zealand.”
Two thirds of the frozen vegetables in fridges are now sourced from foreign investors.
Coles claims to be stocking avocados in their Western Australia and South Australia stores but due to supply shortages they have to import New Zealand avocados. Woolworths claim to stock avocados in their South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland stores.
Not good enough, says Ausbuy.
New Zealanders would export their own 'Mother in Law' and the Govt. would pay them for it..!
Frozen Vegetables from 'NZ' laced with 'Toxic Chemicals'..!
Click link to (SEE VIDEO)
http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/consumer/article/-/11350566/back-door-food-imports