18 October 2019
This Biosecurity Advice notifies stakeholders of the release of the Draft report for the review of biosecurity import requirements for fresh pomegranate whole fruit and processed ‘ready-to-eat’ arils from India.
This draft report proposes that the importation of pomegranate whole fruit and processed arils to Australia from all commercial production areas of India be permitted, subject to them meeting a range of biosecurity requirements, as summarised in this report.
The draft report is being issued for a public consultation period, closing on 17 December 2019.
Stakeholders are invited to have their say on the draft report. The department will consider all stakeholder comments received during the consultation period in preparing a final report.
The department announced the commencement of this risk analysis on 31 July 2018, via Biosecurity Advice 2018-16, advising it would be progressed as a review of biosecurity import requirements.
The draft report identifies 14 pests associated with fresh pomegranate whole fruit that require risk management measures to reduce the biosecurity risk to an acceptable level. These pests are:
- Fruit flies: carambola fruit fly (Bactrocera carambolae), Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis), and peach fruit fly (Bactrocera zonata)
- Scale insect: almond mealybug (Drosicha dalbergiae)
- Mites: flat scarlet mite (Cenopalpus pulcher), pomegranate mite (Tenuipalpus granati),andfalse spider mite (Tenuipalpus punicae)
- Thrips: western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), chilli thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis), and mangosteen thrips (Scirtothrips oligochaetus)
- Mealybugs: grey pineapple mealybug (Dysmicoccus neobrevipes), papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus), and vine mealybug (Planococcus ficus)
- Bacterium: bacterial blight of pomegranate (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae).
The draft report proposes the following risk management measures for fresh pomegranate whole fruit, in combination with operational systems, to achieve Australia’s appropriate level of protection:
- For fruit flies: area freedom or fruit treatment (such as cold treatment or irradiation)
- For scale insects, mites, thrips and/or mealybugs: appropriate packing house measures combined with pre-export visual inspection and, if found, remedial action
- For bacterial blight of pomegranate: area freedom or a systems approach approved by the Department of Agriculture.
In addition, the draft report identifies three pests associated with pomegranate processed arils that require risk management to reduce the biosecurity risk to an acceptable level. The pests identified are:
- Fruit flies: carambola fruit fly (Bactrocera carambolae), Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis), and peach fruit fly (Bactrocera zonata).
The draft report proposes the following risk management measures for pomegranate processed arils, in combination with operational systems, to achieve Australia’s appropriate level of protection:
- area freedom, a systems approach approved by the Department of Agriculture, or fruit treatment (such as irradiation) to reduce the risks posed by the three quarantine fruit flies.
The draft report and information about the risk analysis process are available on the department’s website. Printed copies of the report are available on request.
The department invites stakeholders interested in receiving information and updates on biosecurity risk analyses to subscribe via the department’s online subscription service. By subscribing to Biosecurity Risk Analysis Plant, you will receive Biosecurity Advices and other notifications relating to plant biosecurity policy, including this risk analysis.
Dr Marion Healy
First Assistant Secretary
Biosecurity Plant Division
Telephone: 1800 900 090 (option 1, option 1)
Email: Imports