The State Government has backed calls by Western Australian pork producers for an inquiry into the effects of imported pork.
Agriculture Minister Kim Chance said he would support the WA Pork Producers Association’s recent application for a Productivity Commission inquiry.
Mr Chance said WAPPA was concerned that an increase of imported pig meat into Australia over the past five years was threatening the industry.
Australia’s pig producers are also strongly against a recent determination to amend national pig meat import protocols.
Despite a six-year analysis by Biosecurity Australia, the industry contends the amendments will increases Australia’s exposure to new diseases.
According to the WA Department of Agriculture, pig meat imports have increased from 10,000 tonnes a year in 1998 to 53,000t last year.
WAPPA believes the situation meets World Trade Organisation guidelines for safeguard measures and wants the commission to investigate.
A spokesperson for Federal Agriculture Minister Warren Truss said the minister supported the calls for an inquiry and believed an announcement regarding an inquiry was imminent. However, he said an inquiry was not going to solve the fact the domestic processed pig meat industry needed to improve its efficiency.