US Apple Growers Gain Access to Australia, Local Farmers Sound Biosecurity Alarm

A worker arranges apples for sale at a market in Melbourne, Australia, on July 27, 2022. AAP Image/Joel Carrett

After over 20 years of lobbying, the United States has been granted permission to export apples to Australia, but local farmers have raised concerns over the biosecurity risks.

The decision was made after the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry published its final report for the risk analysis of commercially importing apples from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho on Oct. 31.