YEAR 1 UPDATE OF THE 3 YEAR PILOT PROGRAM TO EXPORT AUSTRALIAN LYCHEES INTO MAINLAND USA

Before expanding on the Year 1 update, ALGA would like to advise that no shipments of Australian lychees were exported to the USA in the 2015/2016 lychee season.

In 2013 Australian Lychees were given the green light to export into mainland USA with the exception of the State of Florida. An Operational Work Plan was developed for a 3 Year Pilot Program and defined the requirements for the Irradiation Treatment protocol for lychees as well as mangoes to assure biological security against designated pests.

The pests of quarantine significance (a) target quarantine pest is a live or viable pest of quarantine significance which will be neutralized by the approved irradiation dose and (b) non-target pest is a live or viable pest of quarantine significance that is not known to be neutralized by the approved irradiation dose.

 TARGET QUARANTINE PEST(S) MITIGATION MEASURES

Bactrocera jarvisi (Tyron) (DIPTERA: Tephritidae)
Jarvis’s fruit fly

Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (DIPTERA:Tephritidae)
Qld fruit fly

Cateremna quadriguttella Walker (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae)
Snout Moth

Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (DIPTERA:Tephritidae)
Mediterranean fruit fly

Ceroplastes rubens Maskell (HEMIPTERA:Coccidae)
Pink/red wax scale

Conogethes punctiferalis(Guenee)(Lepidoptera:Pyralidae)
Yellow peach moth

Cryptophlebia ombrodelta(Lower)(Lepidoptera:Tortricidae)
Macadamia nut borer

Deudorix diovis Hewitson(Lepidoptera:Lycaenidae)
Bright cornelian butterfly

Deudorix epijarbas dido Waterhouse (Lepidoptera:Lycaenidae)
Dull/Blue cornelian butterfly

Isotenes miserana Walker(Lepidoptera:Tortricidae)
Orange fruit borer moth

Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead)(Hemiptera:Pseudococcidae)
Spherical mealy bug

Phycita leucomilta Lower (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) 
Flower caterpillar

Irradiation treatment of minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy (T-105-a-2 per PPQ Treatment Manual)

 

Cartons in which the lychees are packed must be stamped “Not for importation into or distribution in Florida”

 

ACTION: Presence of (a) two or more (b) any target quarantine pests at the pre-treatment inspection will cause rejection of the consignment for export to the USA.

 
NON-TARGET QUARANTINE PESTACTION

Aceria litchi (Keifer) (Acari:Eriophyidae)
Erinose mite

 Presence of any non-target quarantine pests in the pre-treatment inspection will cause rejection of the consignment for export to the USA unless identified as a non-quarantine pest.

 

OVERVIEW OF EVENTS

  1. ALGA completed and submitted the USA Market Access Project proposal to HIA. Approved with ALGA appointed as the Project Provider

  2. Initially 2 export agents, 10 growers & 2 USA importers were nominated for Year 1 of the USA Pilot Program

  3. Grower guides, USA & Australian chemical/MRL guides compiled by ALGA and forwarded to growers and agents

  4. Pest monitor guides and training guides compiled by ALGA , approved by Dept of Agriculture and USDA and forwarded to growers and agents

  5. USA importers visit to Australia and lychee orchards

  6. Grower concerns with Australian chemicals and MRL’s which are not accepted in the USA

  7. Two growers withdrew

  8. Growers submitted details of their orchards, packhouse and nominated USA block/s to ALGA for DoA approval

  9. Growers advised ALGA of their nominated Pest Monitors

  10. Additional export agent requested to be included in the Program and nominated 1 grower

  11. Pest Monitor training commenced and completed in 4 areas, Mareeba, Rockhampton, Bundaberg and Sunshine Coast

  12. Grower concerns in regards to chemicals continued resulting in another grower withdrawing just prior to audit even though the orchard and packhouse applications were submitted

  13. 2nd visit by USA importer to Steritech and various orchards in Qld

  14. After 4 attempts ALGA gained approval on a suitable plastic bag. Sourced from Canada, manufactured in China, but due to late approval process, the bags needed to be air freighted not sea freighted to Australia.

  15. The existing lychee Black PET base was approved.

  16. Packaging approval worksheet and specifications submitted to DoA

  17. First round of grower audits completed

  18. 2nd round of grower audits completed

  19. Photos of grower lids, specifications and approval worksheets submitted to DoA for USDA

  20. 6 growers were compliant & approved for Year 1

  21. 1st dose mapping of pallet configuration completed at Steritech

  22. 2nd dose mapping completed at Steritech

  23. The lateness of the lychee season resulted in very late dose mapping

  24. The late dose mapping resulted in limited volume of fruit for export

  25. 2 remaining growers submitted fruit from their nominated blocks for MRL tests. Results showed small traces of chemicals approved for lychees in Australia but not approved for lychees in the USA

  26. No Australian lychees exported to the USA

  27. End of 2015/2016 lychee season 

List of current lychee chemicals registered for use in Australia highlighting Australian & USA MRL’s

Australian Chemicals registered for Lychees in Australia Product Name Aust MRL USA MRL Pest/Disease
Abamectin * Abamectin T0.05 No MRL Mites (Erinose)
Beta-cyfluthrin Bulldock T0.1 No MRL Fruit Spotting bug, MacNut borer, Flattid Planthoppers, Various
Buprofezin Applaud T0.5 0.3 Flattid planthoppers, scale, mealy bugs
carbaryl   *0.01 No MRL  
Copper   10 Exempt  
didecyl dimethyl NH4Cl   20 No MRL  
Dimethoate Dimethoate, Rogor 5 No MRL Erinose Mite, leaf miner, Q Fruit fly
fenthion   5 No MRL  
fluazifop   0.05 No MRL  
glufosinate-ammonium   0.2 No MRL  
glyphosate   0.2 0.2  
haloxyfop   *0.05 No MRL  
Mancozeb   5 No MRL  
mancozeb (PER13659) Mancozeb 5 No MRL Pepper Spot
Methidathion Supracide T0.1 No MRL Flattid planthoppers, MacNut borer, Fruit spotting bug
methoxyfenozide Prodigy 2 2 MacNut borer, various
oryzalin   0.1 No MRL  
oxyfluorfen   *0.01 No MRL  
paraffinic oil   Exempt No MRL  
paraquat   *0.05 No MRL  
pendimethalin   *0.05 No MRL  
Petroleum oil Petroleum oil Exempt Exempt Scale
Prochloraz Octave T1 No MRL Pepper Spot
Pyraclostrobin Cabrio T2 No MRL Pepper Spot
spinetoram Success, Neo 0.3 0.3 Caterpillar, leaf roller, looper
Sulphur Sulphur Exempt Exempt Erinose Mite
tebufenozide   2 No MRL  
trichlorfon (PER12450) Dipterex, Lepidex T3 No MRL Fruit Spotting bug (PER14743)
triclopyr   0.1 No MRL  
*Abamectin-USA approval is expected in May 2016        

Standard 1.4.2 Maximum Residue Limits (Australia only)
An asterisk ‘*’ appearing in MRL Schedule denotes that the maximum residue limit or the extraneous residue limit is set at or about the limit of determination.
A ‘T’ appearing in MRL Schedule denotes that the maximum residue limit or the extraneous residue limit is a temporary maximum residue limit or extraneous residue limit.

Year 1 of the Pilot Program may not have been successful with exports to the USA, but it has further highlighted the known issue of allowed Australian chemicals and allowed US chemicals that do not align. Overcoming the chemical and pest requirements will be a challenge, so it will be a busy year for ALGA to find solutions to all the issues, and hopefully year 2 of the Pilot Program will deliver fruit to the US.

Derek Foley, ALGA President
Jill Houser ALGA Executive Officer/Secretary