VICTORIA'S first licence to grow commercial opium poppies was given a stamp of approval this week but Tasmanian Poppy Growers (TPG) is remaining resolute in its push for the crop to stay on the island State.
TPG president Glynn Williams was still waiting on a decision from the Federal Government about retaining the intergovernmental agreement made in 1971 that governed poppy growing in Australia.
He said Tasmania had many attributes that made it ideal for growing poppies, but he was not able to make any comment about Victorian growing conditions because of current court proceedings.
The matter is listed for an application in the Supreme Court of Victoria tomorrow (Friday) and a directions hearing on September 26.
Poppy manufacturer TPI Enterprises is suing TPG for misleading and deceptive conduct following comments made by Mr Williams during an ABC interview in October last year when he was asked about TPI's commitment to growing poppies in Tasmania.
TPI alleged Mr Williams' comments meant TPI chief executive Ross Dobinson and managing director Jarrod Ritchie were responsible for TPI contributing to "a position of panic" within the local industry by "exaggerating an alleged shortage of suitable land in Tasmania" to justify the company's plans to import poppies.
But in the meantime, Mr Williams said he had not given up the fight to keep poppies in Tasmania.
While still waiting for a response from the Federal Government on retaining the 1971 treaty, he denied it was a moratorium.
"People are saying that farmers are being protectionist here but we are not," he said. "The treaty is not about free trade. It's about the containment of growing and sales.
"What Australia has done since 1971 is to physically limit where poppies are grown ... and those reason are as sound today in 2014 as they were in 1971."
He said upholding the agreement - and keeping poppies in Tasmania - was a Federal issue for security reasons.
"This is not economic," he said. "It's about keeping drugs in equilibrium. It's a very serious crop."
Mr Williams said that with the situation in the US in which the US Government had moved to curb the overuse of pain medication, demand and prices for poppy products had fallen.
"At the moment we aren't seeing a growing market in Tasmania because of these measures in the US, and we can supply that demand here," he said.
TPG chief executive officer Keith Rice spoke about the future of poppies at a Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC) update at Launceston, Tas, in early August and said the State's farmers should not be afraid of competition.
"We've gone from nothing 45 years ago … to being in front of the world," Mr Rice said. "Everyone sees Tasmanian farmers at the vanguard."
Mr Williams said that while other people might be trying to grow poppies, Tasmania had the climatic conditions to do it better.
"There are really huge opportunities to increase productivity and extraordinary drought-proofing measures because of irrigation," he said.
He refuted claims from manufacturers there had been supply issues.
But TPI managing director Mr Ritchie disagreed.
He said Tasmania did have adverse weather recently which affected supply - and that growing poppies in Victoria mitigated that risk.
He said the push by TPG to retain the crop on the island State was "ill considered".
"It is short-sighted to think maintaining poppy-growing in Tasmania will help," he said.
"Our customers dictate what supply they need and if they can't get it from Australian producers then they will get it from other countries."
He said it was not logical to suggest Tasmania was any safer than Victoria.
Despite demand for pain management medication having eased over the past couple of years due to the US situation, Mr Ritchie said TPI's orders were growing.
"This does not mitigate the risk of adverse weather," he said.
"They are trying to draw a link with a temporary market fluctuation."
He added that the investment into Victoria would also result in additional jobs at TPI’s Tas processing facility.
“The extra straw will allow us to put on 25 more full time positions,” he said.
And with the commercial licences having now been given the nod from the Victorian Government, Mr Ritchie said he was excited to get on with the job.
TPI will now distribute poppy seed to about 40-50 farmers in six growing regions across Victoria.
“Poppies will be grown as far east as Gippsland, in West Victoria around Dunkeld, around Ballarat and Bendigo, and then north around Shepparton and Boort,” he said.
The company is looking to contract 800-1000 hectares in Victoria this season but expects to grow about 3000-4000ha next year.
