This article was published via https://www.agriculture.gov.au on 7 July 2022.
Who does this notice affect?
Importers of high-risk plant products, other-risk plant products, seeds for sowing and other stakeholders in the import and shipping industries – including vessel masters, freight forwarders, treatment providers, Biosecurity Industry Participants, importers, customs brokers, principal shipping agents, and any other operators in the sea container supply and logistics chain.
What has changed?
We have formally announced the commencement of a pest risk analysis for khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium). The announcement has been made via a Biosecurity Advice notice to all registered stakeholders and published on our website along with an Announcement Information Paper.
Khapra beetle is not present in Australia and poses a major threat to Australia’s grains, rice and nut industries as a serious storage pest. A number of countries, including Australia have seen a recent increase in detections of khapra beetle in imported plant products and as a hitchhiker pest of sea containers. In September 2020, we introduced emergency measures (also called ‘urgent actions’) to address the risks of khapra beetle. More information on the emergency measures is found at Urgent actions to protect against khapra beetle.
We have now initiated the pest risk analysis to further assess the biosecurity risks of khapra beetle and to ensure that the emergency measures manage the biosecurity risks to achieve the appropriate level of protection for Australia.
We expect to release the draft report of the pest risk analysis in early 2023 for a 60-day public consultation period.
The existing emergency measures for khapra beetle and other Trogoderma species of biosecurity concern associated with stored plant products will remain in place until the pest risk analysis is completed and any recommended ongoing phytosanitary measures are implemented.
Further information
For further information, see:
Plant risk analyses
Urgent actions to protect against Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium)
Sea container measures to protect against Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium)
Khapra beetle bulletin.
For questions and information related to the Khapra beetle pest risk analysis please contact us at (02) 6272 5094 or email plantstakeholders@awe.gov.au