The Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has begun its review of the biosecurity requirements for imports of Vietnamese dragon fruit.
Australian officials have toured Vietnamese packhouses and farms and are now drafting a report outlining the risks of importing dragon fruit from Vietnam. Once the report is published, stakeholder comments will be taken into account before a final report is published before the end of this year.
Australia more recently granted access to Vietnamese lychees in May last year, with 28 tonnes exported to Australia in 2015. Negotiations are also underway for Vietnamese mangoes, after the final risk assessment was completed in November 2015, according to the Australian Embassy of Vietnam.
