Australia - Challenge against pig meat imports

Published: May 26, 2004

Source : ABC News Online

A group representing Australia's pork industry plans to mount a legal challenge to a new quarantine regime allowing further pig meat imports. Biosecurity Australia's decision to allow the imports from a number of countries which meet disease control conditions has been upheld by an independent panel. Australian Pork Ltd chairman Dr Paul Higgins believes it could lead to an outbreak in the next 10 years of the post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) that can kill pigs. "Our modelling shows that if PMWS came into Australia it would cost the Australian industry $55 million a year in production costs and we believe it would also cost significant premiums and access in terms of export markets so the costs of such a court case for such an important issue is very small when compared to those potential losses," he said.

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