Questions and Answers

The Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (the department) helps people and goods move in and out of Australia while keeping Australia safe and protecting our industries and environment from pests and diseases that exist in many other parts of the world.

As part of this role, the department is responding to a market access request from China for fresh nectarine fruit.

A non-regulated analysis of existing policy (a review) is a process that identifies and assesses any unwanted pests that might be imported on Chinese nectarines and are not present in Australia.

If the risks associated with a proposed import exceed Australia’s appropriate level of protection, the review specifies what measures should be taken to reduce those risks to an acceptable level.

A non-regulated risk analysis of existing policy is undertaken when the potential quarantine pests of concern are the same as, or similar to, quarantine pests for commodities from other countries for which import policy exists.

Import policy already exists for fresh nectarines from the USA (California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington) and New Zealand. There are also import policies for a number of horticultural commodities from China, including apples, table grapes, pears, longans and lychees.

A preliminary assessment of nectarines from China indicated that the potential quarantine pests belong to the same pest groups previously assessed in other risk analyses; and there are established phytosanitary risk management measures for these pests.

Given the similarity of pests of concern and that there are established risk management measures for these pests, the department determined that the market access request for fresh nectarine fruit from China would be conducted as a non-regulated analysis of existing policy, rather than a regulated import risk analysis.

This approach is consistent with the Import Risk Analysis Handbook 2011.

Unlike a regulated analysis, there is no specific timeframe required to complete a non-regulated analysis of existing policy. However, a review is conducted to the same scientific standard as an import risk analysis.

The final report identifies 19 pests of quarantine concern that require phytosanitary measures. Out of these 19 pests, 14 are arthropods, four are fungal pathogens and one is a virus.

The 14 arthropods are: Hawthorn spider mite (Amphitetranychus viennensis), comstock mealybug (Pseudococcus comstocki), Eurasian flower thrips (Frankliniella intonsa), western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), guava fruit fly (Bactrocera correcta), Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis), spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii), summerfruit tortrix (Adoxophyes orana), grape tortrix (Argyrotaenia ljungiana), peach fruit borer (Carposina sasakii), plum fruit moth (Grapholita funebrana), Oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta), white fruit moth (Spilonota albicana), and peach twig borer (Anarsia lineatella).

The four fungal pathogens are: brown rots (Monilinia fructigena, M. yunnanensis, Monilia mumecola, and M. polystroma).

The virus is: Plum pox virus.

The final report recommends a range of risk management measures, combined with a system of operational procedures to ensure quarantine standards are met. These measures are considered to reduce the risk posed by the quarantine pests, and achieve Australia’s appropriate level of protection. These measures include:

• visual inspection and remedial action for leaf rollers, mealybug, spider mite, and thrips
• area freedom or fruit treatment (cold disinfestation or irradiation) for fruit flies
• area freedom or fruit treatment (methyl bromide fumigation or irradiation) or a systems approach approved by the department for spotted wing drosophila
• area freedom or area of low pest prevalence or fruit treatment (methyl bromide fumigation or irradiation) or a systems approach for fruit borers
• area freedom or area of low pest prevalence or alternative measures approved by the department for brown rots
• area freedom or systems approach approved by the department for plum pox virus

Regional differences were identified for two pests. A thrips species was identified as a quarantine pest for the Northern Territory and a fruit moth species was identified as a quarantine pest for Western Australia.

The recommended quarantine measures take into account these regional differences.

The review has been undertaken to identify and assess any pests of quarantine concern potentially associated with fresh nectarine fruit from China. The review concludes that a range of risk management measures, combined with a system of operational procedures, ensures quarantine standards are met and provide an appropriate level of protection. Australia has established measures to manage these pests.

The review is based on the latest available scientific information and reflects Australia’s stringent approach to managing biosecurity risks.

Science-based risk analysis provides an important foundation for safe trade. Australia accepts imports only when we are confident that the risks of pests and diseases that could be associated with specific imports can be managed in accordance with Australia’s appropriate level of protection. This requires quarantine risks to be reduced to at least a very low level.

Australia exports about two-thirds of its agricultural produce. The future of our agricultural and food industries, including their capacity to contribute to growth and jobs, depends on Australia’s capacity to maintain a good plant and animal health status. Our future also depends on the conditions our industries face overseas.

It is important to Australia that fair and consistent trading rules are in place around the world, as provided by the World Trade Organization. We cannot expect trading partners to take our produce if we are not prepared to apply the same rules to their products. Nor could we be optimistic about new markets opening up.

A ‘zero risk’ stance is impractical as it would mean no tourists, no international travel and no imports of any commodities. Nevertheless, Australia invests heavily in biosecurity to ensure that risks are managed to at least a very low level.

The department consulted with stakeholders before starting this analysis and throughout the risk analysis process. Stakeholders were given the opportunity to comment, and were kept aware of the progress.

The department released the Draft report for the non-regulated analysis of existing policy for fresh nectarine fruit from China for a 30 day stakeholder consultation on 28 May 2015.

Seven submissions were received and were considered in the preparation of the final report.

Imported food for human consumption must satisfy Australia’s food standards. Australian law requires that all food, including imported fresh fruits, meets the standards set out in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code and the requirements of the Imported Food Control Act 1992. Each Australian state and territory also has its own food laws that need to be met.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is responsible for developing and maintaining the Code, including Standard 1.4.2, maximum residue limits. The standards apply to all food in Australia, irrespective of whether it is grown domestically or imported.

Yes. Australia allows the importation of fresh nectarines for human consumption from the USA (California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington) and New Zealand, provided they meet Australia’s quarantine requirements.

Yes. Australia currently produces around 110,000 tonnes of summerfruit (peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots) annually and exported 17,800 tonnes during the 2014-15 season.

Key export markets for Australian nectarines include Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and Kuwait.

China also represents a great export opportunity for Australian nectarines and the department is working to establish this access.

Yes. The main export markets for Chinese peaches and nectarines are Russia, Kazakhstan and Vietnam.

Generally, Chinese nectarines are exported from May to October, with the peak volume exported during July to September. This export season is counter-seasonal with Australia’s domestic nectarine production.