Taiwan could start exporting guavas to Australia within a year, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said yesterday.
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on Monday last week released a draft risk assessment report for Taiwanese guava exports to the country, the agency said.
After a two-month public notification period, discussions can begin about details and procedures for managing guava exports to Australia, with shipments likely starting within one year, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Agriculture
Guavas could be vulnerable to the oriental fruit fly, or Bactrocera dorsalis, which is endemic to Taiwan. In December 2009, the agency submitted pest control management information on eradicating oriental fruit flies to the Australian quarantine unit.
After years of communication and Taiwan submitting supplementary documents, Australia in November 2023 sent experts to Taiwan for on-site inspections and verifications of guava orchards, it said.
The specialists inspected production facilities, pest and disease management, and post-harvest processing and packaging, which served as the basis for the draft risk assessment report, the agency said.
The experts affirmed Taiwan’s “high” operating and management standards, it said.
The draft assessment focused on fruit flies and other pests that could enter the country via fruit imports, it said.
Australian experts agreed to a proposed cold treatment disinfection technique for fruit flies, in addition to visual inspections and sorting prior to exports, it said.
After the public notification period is completed, Australian authorities would finalize their assessment, taking into account the public comments gathered, it added.
After that, the two countries could confirm quarantine and production conditions, it said.
The time between the consultation period and final agreement on imports varies by country, but it usually takes a few months to a year, the agency said.
Taiwanese officials will continue negotiations with their Australian counterparts as soon as possible, it said.
Taiwan currently exports guavas to the US, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Macau, Brunei, Indonesia, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates.
For exports to the US, guavas have to be stored in an environment below 1°C for 17 consecutive days before arriving in the US to minimize the risk of fruit fly infestation.
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