Main site content
The major types of plant-based animal feed are hay, processed stockfeed, pet food, aquaculture feed and bulk grain. Learn more about importing bulk grain.
Imported animal feed poses a high biosecurity risk. It can provide a direct pathway for exotic pests and diseases that can harm humans, animals, crops and the environment.
The Department of Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is responsible for managing the biosecurity risks and consumer safety requirements relating to plant based products for human consumption (food, drink, medicine and therapeutics) imported to Australia.
This is administered under two sets of legislation, each with their own separate purpose and requirements:
Government and industry share responsibility for managing the biosecurity risk associated with importing bulk grain. Risks are managed at each step of the import journey, from the offshore farm to the processing facility in Australia.
Find out how:
See latest announcements that may affect how you import plant and plant products.
Subscribe to receive import industry advice notices.
Emergency measures are currently in place to manage the risk of Xylella (Xylella fastidiosa and Xylella taiwanensis) entering Australia via imported host plants and some seed species.
Australia has transitioned emergency measures to regulate Xylella hosts at the genus level, rather than family level.
See more details of these changes.
Xylella is a serious plant bacteria. It affects many common plant species including:
Phalaenopsis spp. nursery stock can be imported into Australia either as nursery stock other than tissue cultures, or as tissue cultures (please see the department’s import conditions database BICON for conditions).
Phalaenopsis spp. nursery stock other than tissue cultures can be imported from a ‘non-approved source’ or from a high health ‘approved source’.
The department has finalised a review of the approved sources of tissue culture free of media with the key objective of ensuring our ongoing assurance responsibilities continue to be met.
As part of the review, the following key measures have been implemented:
We have been improving this page and would like to hear from you.
Share your feedback at the end of the page. Answer the question ‘Was this page helpful?’. You can also add comments to your response.
Imported plant research material can introduce foreign plant pests and diseases that could be harmful to Australia’s environment, agriculture and economy. To protect against this risk, strict biosecurity measures are in place for importing live plants, including research material.
The 2022 plantation forestry method builds on the 2017 plantation forestry method (the 2017 method) to provide more opportunities for the plantation forestry industry to participate in the ACCU Scheme. A project under the 2022 plantation forestry method will accumulate or sequester carbon as the trees grow. For information on closed methods, please visit Closed methods - DCCEEW.
