The Federal Department of Agriculture has released the "Draft report for the review of biosecurity import requirements for fresh apple fruit from the Pacific Northwest states of the United States of America" for industry comment. The document outlines the risks associated with the importation of fresh apples from the areas.
"This draft report proposes that the importation of commercially produced fresh apple fruit to Australia from all production areas of the Pacific Northwest states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington, USA (PNW-USA) be permitted, subject to a range of biosecurity requirements," the document said.
The draft report comes 21 years after a formal market access request for fresh apple fruit from the PNW-USA area was received. This was followed by a revised submission in 2007.
Australia permits the importation of fresh apples from New Zealand and the People's Republic of China, for human consumption, provided they meet Australian biosecurity requirements.
Apple and Pear Australia Limited have urged the Australian industry to have their say on proposed arrangements. APAL chief executive officer, Phil Turnbull, said the identified exotic mites, midges, maggots, worms, moths, rots, bacterium, fungi and viruses have the potential to devastate Australian apple production and other valuable agricultural industries, threatening Australia's national food security.