16 May 2023
This Biosecurity Advice notifies stakeholders of the release of the final report for the review of biosecurity import requirements for fresh Persian lime fruit from Mexico.
The final report determined that the importation of commercially produced fresh Persian lime fruit (Citrus latifolia) from all commercial areas of Mexico can be permitted, subject to a range of biosecurity requirements.
The final report takes into account comments received from stakeholders on the draft report released on 6 April 2021.
We announced the commencement of the risk analysis on 18 May 2018 (via Biosecurity Advice 2018-09) and released the draft report for public consultation on 6 April 2021 (via Biosecurity Advice 2021-P06). Comments from stakeholders on the draft report were taken into consideration when preparing the final report.
This risk analysis was conducted in response to a formal market access request from Mexico for fresh Persian lime fruit to Australia.
The final report identifies 17 quarantine pests and 3 regulated articles associated with fresh Persian lime fruit from Mexico as requiring risk mitigation measures to manage the biosecurity risk to an acceptable level. The 17 quarantine pests are:
- armoured scales: Spanish red scale (Chrysomphalus dictyospermi), tropical grey chaff scale (Parlatoria cinerea), chaff scale (P. pergandii), fern scale (Pinnaspis aspidistrae), trilobite scale (Pseudaonidia trilobitiformis) and citrus snow scale (Unaspis citri)
- mealybugs: grey pineapple mealybug (Dysmicoccus neobrevipes), papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus) and grape mealybug (Pseudococcus maritimus)
- moth: citrus peelminer (Marmara gulosa)
- thrips: Californian bean thrips (Caliothrips fasciatus), Florida flower thrips (Frankliniella bispinosa) and California citrus thrips (Scirtothrips citri)
- spider mite: red citrus mite (Panonychus citri)
- fungal pathogen: citrus scab (Elsinoë fawcettii)
- viruses: Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C) and Orchid fleck dichorhavirus – Citrus strain (OFV-citrus/OFV-Cit1)
Three flat mite species were assessed as regulated articles for all of Australia, as they are capable of harbouring and spreading (vectoring) viruses that are of biosecurity concern to Australia:
- citrus flat mite (Brevipalpus californicus), B. papayensis and B. yothersi.
The final report recommends specific commercial production practices be made mandatory, to ensure the identified quarantine pests and regulated articles are managed to an acceptable level and the biosecurity standards are met. These practices were taken into consideration in assessing the unrestricted risk estimate for the 17 quarantine pests and 3 regulated articles as achieving the appropriate level of protection for Australia.
These specific commercial production practices are:
- In-field pest management practices: monitoring for insects and mites using surveillance and trapping, monitoring for pathogens, and when necessary, application of controls.
- Packing house practices: application of washing, brushing, disinfection, waxing, grading/sorting and quality inspection.
A system of operational procedures is also required for the assurance, maintenance, and verification of phytosanitary status of imported fresh Persian lime fruit from Mexico.
The final report and more information about this risk analysis are available on our website.
We invite stakeholders interested in receiving information and updates on biosecurity risk analyses to subscribe via our 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.
Monica Collins
First Assistant Secretary
Biosecurity Plant and Science Services Division
Telephone: 1800 900 090 (when prompted, select: option 1, option 1)
Email: imports@aff.gov.au