The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department) has prepared this final report to assess the proposal by Mexico for market access to Australia for fresh Persian lime fruit (Citrus latifolia) for human consumption. In Mexico, Citrus latifolia is commonly referred to as Persian lime. However, it is also commonly known as Tahitian lime in many countries, including Australia.(...)
This final report recommends that the importation of commercially produced fresh Persian lime fruit to Australia from all commercial production areas of Mexico be permitted, subject to a range of biosecurity requirements.
This final report contains details of pests that are of biosecurity concern to Australia that are potentially associated with the importation of commercially produced fresh Persian lime fruit from Mexico. Also included are the risk assessments for these identified quarantine pests and regulated articles, and, where required the recommended risk management measures to reduce the biosecurity risk to an acceptable level, that is to achieve the appropriate level of protection (ALOP) for Australia.
Seventeen pests have been identified in this risk analysis as requiring further assessment in a pest risk assessment to determine the level of biosecurity risk associated with these pests, and whether risk management measures are required to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.
An additional 3 species have been identified in this risk analysis as requiring further assessment as regulated articles as they are capable of harbouring and spreading (vectoring) viruses that are of biosecurity concern to Australia.
The 17 quarantine pests are:
- Armoured scales: Chrysomphalus dictyospermi (Spanish red scale), Parlatoria cinerea (tropical grey chaff scale), Parlatoria pergandii (chaff scale), Pinnaspis aspidistrae (fern scale), Pseudaonidia trilobitiformis (trilobite scale) and Unaspis citri (citrus snow scale).
- Mealybugs: Dysmicoccus neobrevipes (grey pineapple mealybug), Paracoccus marginatus (papaya mealybug) and Pseudococcus maritimus (grape mealybug).
- Moth: Marmara gulosa (citrus peelminer)
- Thrips: Caliothrips fasciatus (Californian bean thrips), Frankliniella bispinosa (Florida flower thrips) and Scirtothrips citri (California citrus thrips).
- Spider mite: Panonychus citri (red citrus mite)
- Fungal pathogen: Elsinoë fawcettii (citrus scab)
- Viruses: Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C) and Orchid fleck dichorhavirus – Citrus strain (OFV-citrus/OFV-Cit1).
- The 3 regulated articles are:
- Flat mites: Brevipalpus californicus (citrus flat mite), Brevipalpus papayensis (flat mite) and Brevipalpus yothersi (flat mite)
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