Citrus Australia has called on Australia’s minister for agriculture and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to pause the market access application for pomelo from Vietnam. It cited biosecurity risks that require further scientific assessment.
Citrus Australia Chief Executive Officer Nathan Hancock said Australia’s citrus industry strongly supports mutually beneficial trade and recognizes the importance of open, rules-based market access. But Hancock stressed that Australia’s biosecurity must not be compromised.
“Trade only works when both countries can be confident that pests and diseases are properly managed,” Hancock said. “In this case, the evidence shows a significant and unmanaged biosecurity risk.”
Citrus Australia has raised concerns that citrus canker is endemic across Vietnam’s major pomelo-growing regions, and that packed fruit is a recognized pathway for the spread of the highly infectious disease.
Historically, Australia has only accepted fruit from production areas where citrus canker is demonstrably absent or at very low prevalence. Hancock said this long-standing approach protects Australia’s $1.1 billion citrus industry and the regional communities that rely on it.
Citrus Australia said its initial 2024 submission about Vietnamese pomelo, along with submissions from several other organizations and a follow-up submission in 2025, clearly identified the risks. It added that those submissions should have triggered a technical review under established biosecurity processes.
“Despite the strength of evidence presented, our request for a formal technical review was declined,” Hancock said. “We have now escalated our concerns to the minister and are asking for the risk to be appropriately assessed.”
Citrus Australia is urging the government to establish a Scientific Advisory Group as part of a full Biosecurity Import Risk Assessment to ensure that all available science, surveillance data and real-world risk pathways are thoroughly examined.
“Australia cannot afford to take unnecessary risks with citrus canker,” Hancock said. “We are confident that a clear, science-based review is the right path forward for both countries. This is not about stopping trade; it is about ensuring trade is safe. Maintaining rigorous biosecurity standards at the border is crucial to ensuring the high quality of our produce and profitability of our sector.”
Source: Citrus Australia
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