Government data on Chinese imports supplied in response to a Senate hearing investigating the melamine contamination scare last year reveals startling amounts of fresh, frozen and packaged foods are being imported every day from China – despite much of the same food being produced by Australian farmers.

Late last year Senators called for a list of all imported Chinese food items referred to the Australian Quarantine and Inspection service between June and November in an attempt to get to the bottom of what Australians are eating from China - and its details are gobsmacking.

It includes nearly 250 tonnes of fresh or chilled garlic, 67t of broccoli, 400kg of flour, more than 38t of preserved tomatoes, 1085t of various types of peanuts and 160,000 litres of apple juice – all sent here in the second half of last year.

The Government figures on Chinese imports line up with trade data released in October last year by industry group, AUSVEG, which shows a "sharp deterioration" in the Australian vegetable industry's trade performance, and major acceleration in imports of frozen produce.

In its trade report, AUSVEG said Australia's trade deficit for vegetable exports has trebled in the past three years, despite running at a surplus six years ago.

AUSVEG said the Australian vegetable industry was becoming more dependent on its domestic markets, but these were under increasing threat from imports.

Imports of vegetables and vegetable products surged in 2007/2008, up 23pc from the previous year.

* Extract from a special report in selected Fairfax Rural newspapers, including The Land, January 22 edition.