Market Access Update

Pomewest – WA Pome Fruit Summit

Bunbury

Wednesday 7th February 2018

Outline of Presentation

1. Outline of market access

2. The Systems Approach R&D project for

Manjimup & Pemberton

3. Pomewest fruit fly surveillance in the South

West

The WA industry benefits from counter seasonal supply, closeness in

proximity to Asian and Middle East markets via air or sea freight, clean

and safe produce and a robust regulatory framework.

Many national horticultural industries are seeking new market access.

The export of fresh produce (particularly fruit) is limited by quarantine

restrictions in a number of countries.

Pest and disease control is very important.

1. Market access and exports

Domestic market access

Domestic demand drives the Australian horticulture supply chain, as around 85%

of total fruit and vegetable production is consumed in the domestic market.

Interstate Certification Assurance or ICA is a national accreditation scheme

based upon quality assurance principles that accredits a business to operate an

ICA Arrangement and issue their own Plant Health Assurance Certificates for

transporting produce to other States.

Biosecurity, pest and disease control is important

Interstate Certificate Assurance

ICA 23

Certificate of Area or Property

Freedom Based on Monitoring by the

Accrediting Authority

International market access

International market access is via bi-lateral negotiation

No country (or state) wants our pests of quarantine concern

Fruit flies are usually their number one plant pest of concern

To protect themselves countries require ‘Evidence of Absence of Pests of

Quarantine Concern’

This usually requires surveillance and monitoring (e.g. counting the zeros)

Also good production practice, pre and postharvest treatments

Australian pome fruit market access

Unregulated open markets

Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

Regulated protocol markets

Canada, China (Apples from TAS), Fiji, French Polynesia, India, Indonesia, Japan

(Apples from TAS), Jordan, Mauritius, New Caledonia, New Zealand (Pears only),

Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (Apples only),

Thailand, Toga (Apples only), USA (Apples only), and Vietnam (Currently

prohibited).

Phytosanitary markets

Brunei, Bangladesh, European Union, Kuwait, Pakistan (Apples only), Papua New

Guinea, Qatar, Russia (Currently suspended), Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka,

Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Vanuatu.

*China: Mainland apples are the next product in line for bi-lateral market access

negotiations (within 3 years?).

Case Study - Apples

Manjimup/Pemberton

2. Project AM17001 – developing a national

systems approach for meeting biosecurity

requirements to access key Asian markets

Project Stakeholders

Funding: Horticulture Innovation Australia Ltd

Head Contract: CSIRO

Sub-Contracts:

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport & Resources

(Ag Victoria)

Plant Health Australia

Industry Investors:

Pomewest

Regional Industry Groups for Cherries, Citrus, Rubus and

Summerfruit

Case Studies: Apples (WA), Cherries (NSW&VIC), Rubus and Summerfruit (VIC & NSW)

Project Summary

Currently, most horticultural trade of hosts of important pests (such as

fruit fly) rely on exporters demonstrating that the commodity comes from

an area that is free of pests and diseases (area freedom) or applying an

agreed, stringent end-point treatment. Such end-point treatments are

often costly, can negatively impact quality, and may often be avoidable if

other risk mitigation factors were accepted by importing countries.

This national project is a collaboration between industry, researchers and

regulators that will help Australian horticultural enterprises realise market

opportunities in Australia and Asia by developing a quantitative systems

approach that will be acceptable to regulators, and providing the

supporting information necessary to help industries evaluate and adopt

systems approaches.

Project Summary cont..

Systems approaches integrate “those pre and postharvest practices

used in production, harvest, packing and distribution of a commodity

which cumulatively meet requirements for quarantine security” (Jang

and Moffitt 1994). The systems approach used in each region will set

safeguards and mitigation measures which individually and cumulatively

provide a reduction in plant pest risk (Liquido et al, 1997; ISPM 14;

ISPM 35).

The four year, $6.5 million project aims to realise market access

opportunities using an internationally recognised Systems Approach

within a statistical efficacy testing and validation framework. The project

will undertake pest surveillance, assess and model existing and

potential phytosanitary measures to determine the cumulative efficacy

required to-satisfy trading partners of an acceptable level of protection

against pests of quarantine concern, e.g. Medfly and moths. The WA

project funding is $978,000.

Suggested WA Project Committee

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional

Development:

Kim James plus a

Project Technical Officer in Manjimup

(To be appointed)

Pomewest:

Harvey Giblett

Mario Casotti

Jason Jarvis

Nardia Stacy

The WA Case Study

The WA Pome Fruit Industry:

Pome fruit are a significant fruit crop in Western Australia with most grown in

the South West region (Donnybrook, Manjimup and Pemberton) as well as the

Perth Hills and surrounds.

Pome fruit production covers 1300 hectares in Western Australia. The state

produces around 11 percent of national apple production and 5 percent of

national pear production. Pears and Nashi are a minor commercial crop in

Western Australia, grown in similar areas to apples.

Western Australian orchards produce an annual total of 36,000 tonnes of

pome fruit a year. The average property size is 9.7 hectares and the average

yield is 30 tonnes per hectare. The gross farm gate value of the industry is

around $45 million per annum and a small percentage of production is

exported.

Western Australian apple producers are keen to find new markets for their

apples

The Bravo Apple

The BRAVO apple is cross between Royal Gala

and the well-known Western Australian apple

variety Cripps Red.

They have a distinct sweetness, moderate to high

crisp and crunch, and a striking burgundy colour.

60 growers across Australia produced around

1,800 tonnes in year 3, most production is from

the Manjimup region.

Trial export shipments have been sent to

Singapore and the United Kingdom.

Strong trade enquires from North Asian

protocol markets China and Japan – Access

from Tasmania only.

The Systems Approach

Dependent measures Independent measures

Poor host status Orchard hygiene

Winter window Pest monitoring and surveillance

Property freedom Postharvest sampling (600 pcs)

Area of low pest prevalence Postharvest treatment

Grower accreditation and QA Low prevalence area as a buffer

Pest suppression techniques Sterile insect technique

Codes of Practice Male annihilation program

The Systems Approach used will vary between regions and commodities

and will contain at least two dependent measures and a number of

independent measures. ICA’s and ISPM’s will be the guiding protocols.

A list of Systems Approach measures includes:

Plus modelling of data sets to determine cumulative efficacy for trading partners

Pest surveillance – Target Pests

Mediterranean fruit fly:

The main pest of quarantine concern (for fruit market access)

in WA. It’s wide host range and tolerance of cooler climates

makes it a highly invasive threat to trading partners.

Independent measures – trapping, bait spraying, cover

spraying or SIT.

Queensland fruit fly:

Evidence of absence may be required.

Moths:

Target pests - Light brown apple moth and Western

fruit moth (traps also for codling moth absence)

Independent measures - Area wide mating disruption

and/or insecticidal sprays

Other pests of quarantine concern:

Fullers rose weevil

Independent measures - Tree branding (only if required)

Proposed Dependent Measures

Systems Approach – Manjimup/Pemberton:

Best practice production management, property freedom

Pest trapping and surveillance (Medfly, Moths and Fullers rose weevil)

Fruit sampling (600 piece fruit cutting, pre and postharvest)

Other dependent measures as needed

Postharvest protocol (if needed)

Data collected to assess overall efficacy of measures used i.e.

qualitative and qualitative analysis to determine the cumulative efficacy

required to satisfy trading partners

Medfly Surveillance Area

Manjimup Town

Pemberton Surveillance Area

Pemberton Town

Medfly trapping in the region

Manjimup and Pemberton

33 Location sites

Number of orchard locations in Manjimup and Pemberton - 19

Number of town locations in Manjimup and Pemberton – 14

180 Medfly traps in place

Number of Medfly traps in Manjimup and Pemberton orchards – 152

Number of Medfly traps in Manjimup and Pemberton towns – 152

Fruit Fly Surveillance:

A Pomewest trapping surveillance network for

Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Medfly) has been

in place for 2.4 years.

Biotrap traps used with 3 component Medfly lures

targeting female Medfly (around 70% of catch numbers).

Medfly populations are seasonal, main concerns in

towns and peri-urban orchards.

The first 2 years included Manjimup & Pemberton, these traps now form part of

the national Systems Approach project

The Medfly trapping continues into a third year focussing on the area between

Donnybrook and Bridgetown (118 Medfly traps in region, including Gingin)

Thank you

Visit dpird.wa.gov.au

Important disclaimer

The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional

Development and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of

negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it.

Copyright © Western Australian Agriculture Authority, 2017