Alerts

• The purpose of this notification is to advise of an emerging risk, Tomato brown rugose fruit virus, and the actions that the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is taking to manage this risk in tomato and capsicum seed imports.
  

• The virus has not been detected in Australia and is not considered to be present. The economic impact of any incursion is expected to be relatively high.
  

• The department is planning to introduce emergency measures in March 2019 to reduce the likelihood of introducing tomato brown rugose fruit virus to Australia. The emergency measures are likely to be introduced in a phased approach.
  

• Australia currently requires diagnostic testing of imported tomato and capsicum seeds for several pathogens.
  

• The department is engaging with stakeholders in order to minimise impacts on trade, where possible.
  

• Additional seed testing will be required under phase one to demonstrate tomato and capsicum seed are free from Tomato brown rugose fruit virus.
  

• A further BICON alert will be issued outlining the details of the emergency measures (Phases), including commencement date and arrangements for consignments in transit to Australia.
  

Import permits

• As a result of the planned emergency measures, existing applications for Tomato seed for sowing and Capsicum spp. (requiring testing) seed for sowing import permits, will not be processed or import permits granted, until phase one of the emergency measures has been implemented in March 2019.
  

• All current import permit holders will be notified of the proposed changes, including variation to current import permits.
  

Background

• The first outbreak of this virus Tomato brown rugose fruit virus was reported on tomatoes in Israel in 2014, and then reported in Jordan (2015), Mexico (2018), Germany (2018), USA (California) (2018); Italy (Sicily) (2019) and Northern Palestine (2019).
  

• Tomato brown rugose fruit virus is known to naturally infect tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and members of the Capsicum annuum complex resulting in unmarketable fruit, and has plant disease resistance breaking capability.
  

• Tomato brown rugose fruit virus is a member of the Tobamovirus genus. These viruses are generally seed-borne, can remain viable in seeds for months, and are known to be associated with the seed coat and endosperm.
  

• Tomato brown rugose fruit virus can also to be transmitted through other propagation materials (plants for planting, grafts, cuttings), and locally by contact (direct plant to plant contact, contaminated tools, hands, or clothing and by bees).
  

• A European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization alert, including a description of symptoms, can be found here.
  

Further Information

Please contact Plant Import Operations on 1800 900 090 or email imports@agriculture.gov.au (please title the subject line of the email with ‘Tomato and Capsicum seed emergency measures , Plant T2”.