Last month we reported on the system being implemented by the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment (DAWE) to prevent Khapra Beetle from entering the country. However, there have now been several detections of Khapra beetle at Australian ports, found in products from Southeast Asia. Importers are being cautioned on the need to be vigilant for container contamination to prevent this and other pest incursions.
Khapra beetle poses a major threat to Australia’s primary production and export industry. It is mainly a pest of grains, dried fruit, rice and nuts but also stows away as a hitchhiker on a wide range of cargo. Â
Actions exporters and importers should take
Businesses must be on guard when exporting from or importing to Australia. They should use shipping companies that have processes in place to minimise khapra beetle contamination.
It is essential to:
– maintain cleanliness in containers and storage areas, and when packing goods in containers.
– use higher-grade containers. For example, containers with no floorboard cracks to reduce the risk of sheltering pests.
– take extra precautions when containers are coming from high-risk countries or contain high-risk products. For example, inspecting the cargo at port, or checking the shipping container before loading.
Australia is currently free of khapra beetle. This is important for our agricultural sector for two reasons:
(a) Freedom from khapra beetle makes Australia a preferred exporter to other khapra beetle-free countries.
(b) Our khapra beetle-free status is integral in maintaining access to international markets. Seven of our top 10 grain markets are free from khapra beetle. Australia may lose or have restricted access to these markets if khapra beetle is established domestically.
The Australian Government has committed $97 million to improve biosecurity in the 2021–22 budget and has resolved to continuously strengthen our border quarantine against hitchhiker pests like khapra beetle.
As licensed Customs Brokers and International Freight Forwarders, Alliance Intercontinental handles all your import and export cargo transport needs. We are based in Brisbane and offer a complete range of logistics services, for both air and sea freight, including fumigation, warehousing and trucking – through all Australian ports and airports.
