Alerts

Who does this alert affect:
This alert affects clients of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (the department) who import Full Container Load (FCL) consignments of seeds, grains and dried plant products.

What’s the change:
As previously notified, the department has updated the list of countries that are regulated for khapra beetle, this list is referred to as the khapra beetle target risk country list.

This revised list of countries is effective from 16 December 2020. The khapra beetle target country list is:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Cyprus, Egypt, Ghana, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen.

Certification requirements for Full Container Load (FCL) of seeds, grains and dried plant products:

• if imported from a listed khapra beetle target risk country, then consignments must be accompanied with a phytosanitary certificate with the following additional declaration "The plant product(s) were inspected and found free from Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium)."
• if imported from a country not listed as a khapra beetle target risk country, then consignments must be accompanied with a phytosanitary certificate.
  

Import Permits:

As a result of the update to the khapra beetle target risk country list, some import permits will require amendment. The department has notified all affected import permit holders and all affected import permits will be varied by 24 December 2020.

In-transit arrangements:

For FCL consignments arriving to Australia without an acceptable phytosanitary declaration, goods are subject to an unpack (for inspection) at a class 1.1 approved arrangement site.

Background:
Khapra beetle (Trogderma granarium) is Australia’s number two National Priority Plant Pest and the number one plant priority pest for grains. It is not present in Australia, but it is a highly invasive pest that poses a major threat to Australia’s grains industry. It feeds directly on goods such as stored grain and dry food stuffs, which can result in significant damage. Infested goods may become contaminated with beetles and cast larval skins and hairs, which can be a health risk and are difficult to remove from grain storage structures and transport vessels.

Further information:
For further information please refer to either the urgent actions to address khapra beetle risk webpage or contact Plant Import Operations Branch at imports@agriculture.gov.au (please mark the title of the email Plant T2 – Khapra).