Biosecurity plan for the lychee, papaya and passionfruit industries (MT18006)
What was it all about?
This project developed individual Biosecurity Plans for the Australian lychee, papaya and passionfruit industries. Each plan identifies and prioritises the growing number of exotic pests and pathogens that could, if introduced, impact crop production and trade for these industries. Plans also assess the preparedness resources needed to manage these risks and outline a program of current and future activities to strengthen biosecurity responses and industry preparedness.
Challenge
The Australian tropical fruit industry is highly diverse, growing more than 60 fruit species on a commercial or semi-commercial scale. The lychee, papaya and passionfruit industries have experienced significant growth over recent years, with a combined market value estimated at $117M in 2023.
Protecting these rapidly expanding industries from exotic pests and diseases is essential to ensuring their long-term sustainability, profitability, and trade viability. The biosecurity landscape has evolved significantly, requiring industry response capabilities to adapt and keep pace with emerging threats. Without proactive measures, these industries face increased vulnerability to biosecurity risks that could compromise production and market access.
Response
The development of the Biosecurity Plans involved several key activities:
- Comprehensive pest and disease review: A thorough assessment of all known exotic pest and disease species known to infect the target crops was conducted. These reviews identified 119 different exotic pests and diseases impacting lychee production, 78 impacting passionfruit, and 131 affecting papaya production. Each species was assigned a risk rating based on its likelihood of entry, establishment, spread within Australia, and potential economic impact. Species rated as high or extreme risk were deemed as ‘High Priority Pests’ (HPPs), with 5 identified for the lychee industry, 10 for passionfruit, and 13 for papaya.
- Preparedness resource analysis: The project evaluated existing resource available to manage each HPP, including contingency plans, fact sheets, diagnostic and surveillance protocols, and taxonomic reference specimens. This analysis identified gaps in current preparedness efforts and areas requiring further development.
- Implementation Plan development: Each industry’s Biosecurity Plan was supplemented with an Implementation plan outlining critical activities to enhance biosecurity preparedness and response capabilities. These plans were developed and reviewed annually by a Biosecurity Reference Panel (BRP) consisting of industry and government representatives. The Implementation Plans outline strategies, communication and engagement activities tailored to each industry, share resources and best practices from other industries facing similar exotic pest and disease threats, and identify opportunities for international and domestic collaboration to strengthen biosecurity efforts.
Benefit
The Biosecurity Plans developed through this project provide industries with a clear understanding of the exotic pests and diseases that pose the greatest threat to their production and trade. The plans outline strategies and actions to improve biosecurity preparedness and response capability, offering a framework for industry, government, and other stakeholders to assess current biosecurity practices and identify future needs.
By proactively identifying, prioritising, and managing biosecurity risks, these plans play a crucial role in safeguarding the future of the lychee, papaya, and passionfruit industries in Australia.
This project was a multi-industry strategic levy investment in the Hort Innovation Lychee, Papaya and Passionfruit Funds