Update - Discussion with Australian Officials over Candidatus Liberibacter bacterium, 18 September 2008
Biosecurity Australia officials visited last week (of 8 September) to discuss a number of matters including the Candidatus Liberibacter bacterium which is currently the subject of a risk analysis being carried out in Australia.
Many questions and concerns they had had were answered during the course of the visit. The visitors most pressing concerns were around whether the bacterium could be transmitted by seed and whether a tomato for consumption exported to Australia might act as a pathway for spread of the disease. While our seed transmission trials are yet to be completed we were able to tell them that trials carried out so far show no evidence that seeds are a transmitting agent of the disease.
They also asked for further information on our seed transmission trials and other technical/scientific details which are being collated for them. At this stage it is not possible to say when access for New Zealand exports into Australia might resume, but we will continue to work to meet their information needs.
Scientific information available to date keeps New Zealand officials confident that the likelihood of introduction and spread of the bacterium through trade in capsicum and tomato fruit for consumption is negligible.
Many questions and concerns they had had were answered during the course of the visit. The visitors most pressing concerns were around whether the bacterium could be transmitted by seed and whether a tomato for consumption exported to Australia might act as a pathway for spread of the disease. While our seed transmission trials are yet to be completed we were able to tell them that trials carried out so far show no evidence that seeds are a transmitting agent of the disease.
They also asked for further information on our seed transmission trials and other technical/scientific details which are being collated for them. At this stage it is not possible to say when access for New Zealand exports into Australia might resume, but we will continue to work to meet their information needs.
Scientific information available to date keeps New Zealand officials confident that the likelihood of introduction and spread of the bacterium through trade in capsicum and tomato fruit for consumption is negligible.
Page last updated: 22 September 2008