Market Access – Fruit Fly Surveillance Trapping

High quality pest surveillance data is of key importance for retaining market access, both interstate and with international trading partners. Surveillance for specific pests is often carried out by state or territory departments of primary industries or independent parties. However, industry-driven surveillance is becoming an important tool in proving regional, area, or state freedom from pests of quarantine concern. The extent of surveillance that is necessary is highly specific to each importing country or state. Export approval can often depend on the major primary industries in that country, the importing country’s pest status and the level of assurance needed by that country to be confident about importing Australian produce.

The Pomewest Committee believe industry have identified the need to protect existing markets and gain new export markets. To achieve this Ashmere Consultants have been engaged to demonstrate that orchard surveillance programs capture pest numbers throughout the season and they also have documented pre and postharvest control measures in place to prove Area of Low Pest Prevalence (ALPP) trading status. A proactive Medfly surveillance program is both a useful pest control tool and insurance policy to maintain and gain markets for the Western Australian pomefruit industry.