Okra from India

We have completed the risk analysis for okra from India. We will now verify that India can meet the import conditions.

Risk analysis

When we do a risk analysis we:

• review the science on pests and diseases of concern
• assess and analyse biosecurity risks
• develop proposed risk management measures, if required
• consult the public on the draft report and then review comments
• publish the final report
• verify that the country can meet the recommended risk management measures
• develop import conditions
• publish import conditions in our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON).

About the risk analysis

We initiated this risk analysis because India requested market access for fresh okra fruit. Learn more about why we carry out risk analyses and our international obligations.

We conducted this risk analysis as a review of biosecurity import requirements. This is because we conducted an assessment of the potential quarantine pests associated with okra from India and found that:

• the pests of concern are the same, or of the same pest groups, as those pests that have been assessed previously for other horticultural goods
• there are appropriate risk management measures already established for these pests or pest groups.

Final report

Summary of the final report

We released the final report on 8 March 2023.

We recommend that the import of commercially produced fresh okra from India be permitted provided they meet the biosecurity import conditions.

Pests

The final report identifies 10 pests associated with fresh okra from India that need risk management measures to reduce the biosecurity risk to an acceptable level. These pests are:

• fruit flies - peach fruit fly (Bactrocera zonata) and melon fly (Zeugodacus cucurbitae)
• mealybugs - papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus) and Madeira mealybug (Phenacoccus madeirensis)
• scale insect - mulberry scale (Pseudaulacaspis pentagona)
• thrips - Eurasian flower thrips (Frankliniella intonsa), melon thrips (Thrips palmi) and chilli thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis)
• spider mites - red okra spider mite (Tetranychus macfarlanei) and okra mite (Tetranychus truncatus).

Nine of the 10 identified pests are quarantine pests.

All 3 thrips species are regulated articles as they are capable of harbouring and spreading emerging orthotospoviruses that are quarantine pests for Australia. However, whilst Eurasian flower thrips and melon thrips are also quarantine pests, chilli thrips is not a quarantine pest.

Risk management measures

We recommend a range of measures to reduce the risk of these pests arriving in Australia via the fresh okra pathway. These measures are:

• for fruit flies
  • pest free areas, pest free places of production or pest free production sites, or
  • fruit treatment (such as irradiation)
• for mealybugs, scale insects, spider mites and thrips
  • pre-export visual inspection, and, if found, remedial action.

Your feedback on the draft report

Written comments on the draft report were received from 5 stakeholders. We have made changes, where necessary, to the risk analysis following consideration of stakeholder comments and a subsequent review of literature.

Download submissions on the draft report

Download final report

Draft report

We released the draft report on 20 June 2022 for a 60 calendar day public consultation period, which closed on 19 August 2022.

Announcement

More information about this risk analysis is available in the Announcement Information Paper.

Trade

Australia-India trade

India is an important trading partner for Australia. In 2021, India was Australia's sixth-largest two-way goods and services trading partner and fourth-largest goods and services export market. Two-way goods and services trade with India was $34.3 billion in 2021.

Okra industry in India

India is the world's largest producer of okra with over 60% of the global production. India produces approximately 6 million tonnes of okra per year.

Okra is grown throughout the year with peak production between April and July.

India exports okra to several international markets.

Okra industry in Australia

The Australian okra industry produces over 2,500 tonnes of okra per year.

Most of Australia’s okra is grown around Darwin in the Northern Territory. Okra is also grown in the Burdekin region and the Lockyer Valley in Queensland, and Carnarvon in Western Australia, with smaller volumes grown in other states.

Australian grown okra is available year-round with peak production between May and July.

The Australian okra industry is focussed on domestic supply mainly to major city markets, including Sydney and Melbourne.

Next steps

Before imports can commence, we will:

• verify that India can meet our specified import conditions
• publish import conditions on the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON)
• issue import permits to importers who meet the import conditions.

The decision to commence imports will be a commercial decision between an exporter in India and an importer in Australia. The importer must meet the import conditions as set out in BICON.

Keep informed

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Contact us

For more information, email imports or phone 1800 900 090 (when prompted, select option 1, option 1).