20 December 2011
This Biosecurity Advice announces the formal commencement of a non-regulated analysis of existing policy to consider proposals to import fresh lychee fruit from Taiwan and from Vietnam.
DAFF Biosecurity will prepare a draft report in due course, which will be released for stakeholder comment.
The commencement of this analysis is in response to requests for market access for fresh lychee fruit from Taiwan and Vietnam.
A preliminary assessment of the pests potentially associated with lychees from Taiwan and Vietnam indicates that these pests do not pose significantly different quarantine risks, or require significantly different management measures than those for which policy exists, namely for the pests associated with lychees and for their management measures currently implemented for lychees from the People’s Republic of China and Thailand.
In view of this, it has been determined that the market access requests for fresh lychee fruit from Taiwan and Vietnam can be progressed as a non-regulated analysis of existing policy. Preparation of the draft report will take account of the risk assessments previously completed for the importation of lychees from China and Thailand.
The next step is to prepare and release a draft report to enable all interested stakeholders to comment. A comment period of 60 days will apply.
Following the completion of the comment period, DAFF Biosecurity will consider all comments and publish a final report.
Dr Colin J Grant
First Assistant Secretary
Plant Division
Contact: Darryl Barbour
Telephone: +61 2 6272 3933
Facsimile: +61 2 6272 3307
Email: Plant Biosecurity