154-2025: Updates to managing mushroom for propagation

19 May 2025

Who does this notice affect?

This change affects importers of mushroom spawn and/or cultures for propagation, brokers, assessment officers and inspection teams.

What has changed?

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department) will update the import conditions and onshore management of mushroom spawn and/or cultures for propagation on 23 May 2025.

These updates will affect importers, brokers, and department staff.

The purpose of these changes is to align and simplify the import conditions and onshore assessment and outcomes of fresh and frozen mushroom spawn and/or cultures. A summary of changes is below:

1. Removal of the requirement for a phytosanitary certificate:
   1. Current import conditions require that ‘frozen’ mushroom spawn and/or cultures require phytosanitary certification. Mushroom spawn and/or cultures that are not ‘frozen’ do not require phytosanitary certification.
   2. The goods (fresh or frozen/chilled) will no longer require phytosanitary certification.
   3. All other import conditions must be met including the requirement for a valid import permit and manufacturers declaration.
2. Consolidation of fresh and frozen import conditions:
   1. The department has created a single BICON case to provide consistent biosecurity management of the commodity.
   2. Import conditions for fresh and frozen mushroom spawn and/or cultures will now be located within the same case and have the same document assessment, inspection, and onshore outcomes.
3. Amending onshore inspection:
   1. Current BICON commodity cases for mushroom spawn specified a ‘Inspection - Fresh produce’ inspection for goods not transported under cold temperatures and a ‘Inspection - Tailgate’ inspection for frozen goods.
   2. The new inspection direction will be: ‘Verification - Verify Commodity.’ This consists of a full unpack, with a verification of external packaging, labelling reconciliation and opening of one or more cartons bags (at officer discretion) to verify that contents are as described on commercial documentation. Plastic linings or wrapping containing mushroom logs will not be opened.
   3. With one pathway, the inspection direction can be aligned to continue to manage risk effectively and consistently.
   4. The new onshore inspection will allow for general inspectors to conduct the activity. This upgrade allows for a wider pool of officers to be allocated to these commodities.

Further information

Please contact Plant Import Operations (Horticulture Import Program): Imports@aff.gov.au.