The Australian banana industry has come out swinging against a move by the federal government that could see bananas imported into Australia from the Philippines. The Australian Banana Growers Council (ABGC) says imports could introduce disease that could cause widespread and irreversible damage to local production, and threaten the livelihoods of growers and Australia's $1.3 billion banana industry. Australia does not currently import fresh bananas from any country, and growers want to keep it that way. "Allowing banana imports would be like opening the front door to diseases that could wipe out Australian farms," ABGC chair Leon Collins said. "Once they're here, there's no going back." The industry backlash follows the announcement by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) last month that it would conduct a review of alternative measures for the import of bananas from the Philippines. The review is the latest chapter in a tale that dates back more than two ...