I have been reading an article from the ABC on the decision to allow apple imports from China into the country. I cannot understand personally why the government would do this, when we have such a large number of fruit growers here in the land of OZ doing it very tough. Won’t this just make it harder to make a living?
OK, on a more practical note:
- What about flavour? I bit into one of Lynette Rideout’s Granny Smith Apples a couple of days ago, they are sweet from natural cold weather ripening, and I know they were picked probably less than 24 hours prior to me buying them. After a long sea voyage, spraying or irradiating, refrigeration for months, lots of transportation (lots of oil used to transport them all the way from China to Australia) Is it still fruit? Probably no goodness left anyway. I don’t want it!
- Risk of disease? – they are probably irradiating the life out of the fruit. but are they opening up the potential for fungal and viral infections and also stowaways, insects and other pests.
- Cheaper sub standard rubbish in the market. – 6 months old when it gets to the point of sale. As I said before. Why would I want to eat this rubbish when I can buy locally grown apples that are full flavoured and chock full of vitamins
.
At the end of the day, a couple of cents per apple difference in price is not going to make me go out and buy Chinese apples when I can get the real deal from Camden Produce Markets or one of the other local markets I attend.
I had one more thought, and that is will anyone actually know they are buying a sub standard overseas produced product ? I think they should make it a law that they identify what is local and what is imported at the point of sale.
What are your thoughts. Why not post a comment ?
Link to ABC Story: Growers worried by Chinese Apple Imports
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Here we are trying to save energy/resources by turning off electrical appliances, using ethanol in our cars and recycling as much of our waste as we can. But now Australia will be forced to allow apples from China which must use a heap of world resources to transport a product to Australia, a product that we not only produce here, but the Australian apple industry is well established and markets high quality apples into our local markets. I have no problem importing products into Australia that we can’t grow here (of which I can think of very few with our diverse climate range) but when we are forced to allow product into Australia that we have and that may also introduce pests and diseases thet we DON”T have I can only hope that the Australian public boycotts the product and makes it not a viable financial practice for the importers to continue.
Totally agree, I like the idea of a boycott.
I agree, we should boycott imported apples as we have perfectly beautiful apples in Australia. What will they think of next?
With the price of everything going up everyday, and the pay not catching up at all, what are the alternatives that an ordinary consumer has?
Mortgage interest rates are always rising, how do you save a dollar or two to pay that mortgage off?
I have tasted the imported apples (Fuji) and I would say that they are of a higher quality. The Fuji apples grown locally taste a little bitter when the skin is not peeled, however, this is not the case with the Chinese apples.
I do not care what an apple tastes like, I only care if it was made in Australia. Still has nutrients and vitamins left in them and has not been fertilized with raw effluent. You may save 2 dollars you can pay your mortgage with but will you have a job next year when the economy is stuffed because the government sold the country out from under you while you were busy eating your Chinese imported produce.
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