Yes $12 a kg and often more.
No fault of the growers and not the first time.
Cyclones have destroyed the crop and prices have shot up.
NSW ,market days see local grown on sale at $5 but those profits do not go to those who lost the crops.
So like any issue, any one, views are very many in number and very different.
On Land line a grower said producers should consider leaving 5 to 15% on the ground to rot.
To bring prices up.
Others knowing the Philippians could bring them here and sell very cheaply say let them do it.
That is saying let us destroy our industry, but is it any worse than bringing the price up by such means.
I am unsure, but think if either happened it would be wrong for us all.
It however is a miss judgment to tell those you need to support your industry you intend to force them to pay above fair prices.
We need to consider for 40 weeks before this last cyclone prices paid did not equal production costs.
My view.
No fruit rotting on the ground growers should, with government help, demand it! form a buy out and reduce the crop by helping others leave the industry , we pay but fairer.

Belly,

Considering that the majority of those getting $12/kg are farmers in non affected areas, whether we import bananas makes no difference to those that lost their crops, only to the consumers.

I cant see why it shouldn't work just like any industry. If an overseas competitor can do it cheaper then that industry should burn and die.

I'm sick of Farmers getting a license to make a living.

If I made televisions and tried to compete with the Chinese people would say I was insane. But when a farmer does it there is all this 'salt -o- the earth' , 'backbone-o-the-country' type rubbish.

Either you're for globalisation and exploiting cheap labour and cheap fuel costs or you're against it. Why does the sentimental protection of some industries cloud the issue for some.

Is a farmer's job more worthy than a city bloke and his business?

Where are the handouts to city folk who decide to over capitalise and plan only for the peak times and ignore the existence of business risks like draught and floods and fail to adequately protect themselves, diversify or change industries.

What is 'food security' really but a poor rational of imagining war torn conditions and projecting them onto your cause. I'm sure we need 'manufacturing security', or many other 'security's' to make us totally self sufficient in the event a war will break out. Hell, let's stop trading altogether, we don't want to rely on anyone else. See how far that gets us.

Shallow Minister contained in my post was the information, you just gave me.
The $12 up to $15 is going to producers not even in QLD.
Houlie our Bananas are unique,and not a new crop.
We only have one breed and not from seed it is vegetable reproduction.
We, as we do in many things, try to isolate other country's bringing in fresh produce, to protect our stock from rampart disease's.
So ok, you say we dump products and kill our farmers,at least in this product.
We have dumped in the name of world trade other industry's manufacturing is one.
A Cyclone not man bought about these prices.
So what next dairy industry, stop growing apples and import from NZ.
Some balance and understanding is needed.
If we dump we stop our industry, if we continue to over produce but rot some to raise prices?
Cheaper fruits will become a substitute for a shrinking market pears less than $3 now.

Not sure but over heard a report in part that a move to import them is coming up.
Once every kids lunch box had one and it will be that way again.
We gave to the fund to help these folk so why not wait to help them again?
First fruit will be in stores for spring.

Belly ache,

When the local farmers cannot supply the country, then you import for a short time, from countries with approved harvests. Too often this fear of disease is a thinly veiled import barrier.