Passionfruit from Vietnam

We have published import conditions for fresh passionfruit from Vietnam on our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON). Import permits can now be issued.

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

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 Vietnam requested market access for fresh passionfruit. 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 pests associated with passionfruit from Vietnam 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 7 March 2024.

We determined that the importation of commercially produced fresh passionfruit from Vietnam can be permitted, subject to certain biosecurity import conditions.

Pests

The final report identifies 12 pests associated with passionfruit from Vietnam that require risk management measures to reduce the biosecurity risk to an acceptable level. These pests are:

• false spider mites: Brevipalpus phoenicis species complex
• fruit flies: Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis), melon fly (Zeugodacus cucurbitae) and pumpkin fruit fly (Zeugodacus tau)
• mealybug: Pacific mealybug (Planococcus minor)
• scale insects: dictyospermum scale (Chrysomphalus dictyospermi), mulberry scale (Pseudaulacaspis pentagona) and West Indian red scale (Selenaspidus articulatus)
• spider mite: Tetranychus piercei
• thrips: melon thrips (Thrips palmi), cotton thrips (Frankliniella schultzei species complex) and chilli thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis).

Risk management measures

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

• for fruit flies
  • pest free areas, pest free places of production or pest free production sites, or
  • fruit treatment considered to be effective against fruit flies such as irradiation
• for false spider mites, mealybug, scale insects, spider mite and thrips
  • pre-export visual inspection and, if found, remedial action.

Your feedback on the draft report

We received submissions on the draft report from 7 stakeholders. Where permission has been given, these submissions have been published below. We have made changes to the risk analysis following consideration of stakeholder comments and a subsequent review of literature. These changes include:

• amendments to Chapter 3 ‘Pest risk assessments for quarantine pests’
  • The risk assessment for thrips in section 3.9 includes the Frankliniella schultzei species complex, which has been assessed as a quarantine pest and a regulated article.
  • Addition in section 3.4 of a risk assessment for the Brevipalpus phoenicis species complex, which has been assessed as a quarantine pest and a regulated article.
  • The mealybug species Rastrococcus invadens has been removed as a quarantine pest requiring specific risk management measures on the passionfruit from Vietnam pathway because there was insufficient evidence that Passiflora edulis is a host for the species. Rastrococcus invadens remains a quarantine pest for Australia. Should R. invadens be detected on the passionfruit from Vietnam pathway, it would require remedial action and may trigger a re-assessment for this species on this pathway. Similarly, a re-assessment for R. invadens would also be required if evidence becomes available that Passiflora edulis is a host.
• amendments to Chapter 4 ‘Pest risk management’ to include additional information on pest interceptions in section 4.1.1 ‘Analysis of pest interception data’, and addition of the Frankliniella schultzei species complex and the Brevipalpus phoenicis species complex to section 4.1.2 ‘Risk management measures for quarantine pests and regulated articles associated with passionfruit from Vietnam’
• amendments to Appendix B ‘Initiation and categorisation for pests of passionfruit from Vietnam’ to include additional information and references
  • Addition of the following species to the table: Cassida obtusata, Xylosandrus compactus, Euproctis scintillans, Tiracola plagiata, Acraea terpsicore, Frankliniella schultzei species complex, Aspergillus flavus, Colletotrichum acutatum, Colletotrichum boninense, Colletotrichum plurivorum, Corynespora cassiicola and Curvularia australiensis.
  • Additional information and clarification have been added for the Brevipalpus phoenicis species complex, and phytoplasmas and viruses that can be vectored by insects.
  • changes have been made to the potential to enter on pathway for Rastrococcus invadens.
• addition of Appendix C ‘Stakeholder comments’, which summarises key technical issues raised by stakeholders, and how the department has considered these issues in this final report
• minor corrections, rewording and editorial changes for consistency, accuracy, clarity and web-accessibility.

Download submissions on the draft report

Download the supplementary response to submissions on the draft report

Download final report

Draft report

We released the draft report on 13 July 2023 for a 60 calendar day public consultation period, closing on 11 September 2023.

Announcement

We announced the commencement of this risk analysis in August 2022.

Trade

Australia-Vietnam trade

Vietnam is Australia’s 12th largest 2-way trading partner in goods and services ($22.1 billion in 2021-22) and seventh largest market for agriculture, forestry and fisheries products ($3.2 billion in 2021-22).

Passionfruit industry in Vietnam

In 2019, the total growing area was reported to be approximately 10,500 ha, with most passionfruit grown in the central highland and northern mountainous regions. In 2019, annual production was reported to be 222,200t. Fruit are harvested year-round, however the main harvest season in northern areas is from May to December.

Most passionfruit are consumed as fresh fruit in Vietnam, however small, unspecified volumes of fresh whole fruit and frozen pulp are exported to a range of markets in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Passionfruit industry in Australia

In 2022-23, the Australian passionfruit industry produced 4,711t of passionfruit at a value of $29.6 million.

Most of Australia’s passionfruit are grown in Queensland, including in the Cooktown/Daintree, Mareeba, Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast regions. Passionfruit are also grown in the Tweed Valley region of NSW, with smaller volumes grown in other mainland states.

Australian passionfruit are grown year-round. Peak production occurs from December to August, with lower volumes produced at other times of the year. The total growing area for passionfruit in Australia in 2019 was approximately 280 ha.

There is currently little Australian passionfruit export activity. However, driving long-term domestic and export growth is a priority for the industry.

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Contact us

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