Imported flowers could provide a nasty Christmas surprise

Flowers imported into Australia could be carrying more nasties than you ever imagined.

Exotic pests and glyphosate are two of the nasties that could be found in imported flowers sold at the supermarket.

FEW things brighten a room more than a bunch of flowers.

And few things say I love you more than a bunch on Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day or even Christmas.

But there is little love for imported flowers among local growers – and Australia’s wider agriculture sector – at the moment.

And that is because of the nasty pests that have been arriving on flowers that come from some very surprising countries.

At least four exotic pests are suspected to have arrived in Australia recently on imported flowers.

Just last month the exotic serpentine leaf miner, which can burrow its way through crops such as barley, rice and wheat, potatoes and cucumbers, was found in western Sydney.

Coincidentally several flower importers were located near the site they were found.

Australia imports 250 million flower blooms each year.

And in the past 22 months there have been 15,928 incidents of exotic pests on imported cut flowers, according to the federal Agriculture Department.

Of course, you’d think these incursions would be prevented if the flowers were fumigated when they arrived here.

But the Federal Government allows the flowers to be treated in the country they are coming from.

The big problem with that is many of our flowers come from countries that have, how would you say it, the least stringent protocols for such things.

OK, let’s cut to the chase – they come from countries riddled with corruption.

Kenya, Columbia and Ecuador are three countries we get many of our flowers from. And these countries are the origin of most of the nasties that get through.

The Federal Government has pointed to trade rules as the reason it leaves it up to these countries to ensure the flowers have been treated.

“Trade is a two-way street and it would be simplistic to think we can get market access into other countries without offering it in return, which is why we manage the risks based on science not emotion,” Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleprouds told The Weekly Times.

The problem is that does not seem to be working, as the pest incursions show.

We do know, however, that imported flowers are dipped in glyphosate – the main ingredient of Roundup – before they arrive in Australia.

This is to prevent them being able to be grafted onto rootstock after they arrive here.

Both of these issues are why local growers are adamant there needs to be country-of-origin labelling on all flowers, in the same way fresh fruit and vegetables have such labels in supermarkets.

So just be aware that the flowers you give on Friday may have been dipped in weed killer but may be carrying a pest that could destroy our local industry.

That’s a very merry thought.

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