CHINA is seeking to export nectarines to Australia.
The Department of Agriculture issued a Biosecurity Advice earlier this month announcing it has begun a “non-regulated analysis of existing policy for fresh nectarine fruit from the People’s Republic of China”.
The commencement of this analysis is in response to a request for market access for fresh nectarine fruit from China into Australia.
A preliminary pest categorisation for nectarine fruit from China found potential quarantine pests of concern are the same as, or similar to, quarantine pests for fresh stone fruit from the USA (California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington) and New Zealand; and apples and table grapes from China for which import policy exists.
“Given the similarity of pests of concern and that there are appropriate risk management measures for these pests, the risk analysis for nectarine fruit from China will be progressed as a non-regulated analysis of existing policy, consistent with the Import Risk Analysis Handbook 2011,” the Biosecurity Advice said.
The Department of Agriculture will prepare a draft report which will be issued for stakeholder comment.
