Australia halts Korean pear imports
Australia has suspended imports of fresh pears from South Korea following an outbreak on fire blight disease in the Asian country. 
The Australian Department of Agriculture recently issued an alert which said the ban would continue until further notice.
Industry body Apple and Pear Association Ltd (APAL) welcomed the decision, saying fire blight was a disease that could 'decimate' pome fruit orchards and would devastate the industry if it entered the country.
“Australia is fortunate not to have fire blight – and we want to keep it that way to protect our orchards and growers," APAL CEO John Dollisson said.
“We applaud the Government in acting swiftly to suspend trade until it is satisfied that appropriate measures can be taken to remove the risk of fire blight entering Australia with imported Korean pear fruit.”
The South Korean Government notified Australia of the outbreak of fire blight in accordance with its protocol requirements.
Photo: www.shutterstock.com
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