The United States Deparment of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing importing Australian fresh mangoes and is seeking responses to a detailed report analyzing pest risks.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) discovered 21 quarantine pests which could be imported via the fruit.

The fruit flies bactrocera aquilones, cucumis, frauenfeldi, jarvisi, kraussi, neohumeralis, murrayi, opillae, tryoni and ceratis capitata and the soft scale hemiptera ceroplastes rubens received a high risk potential.

13 arthropods received a medium risk rating.

The fungus phomopsis mangiferae and the as-yet-unidentified fusarium spp. complex associated with mango malformation disease was rated low risk.

A high rating means specific phytosanitary measures, additional to port of arrival inspection, are normally required.

Australia expects to export around 1,000 metric tons (MT) to the U.S., which is a similar volume to its other large markets in Hong Hong and Singapore.

Australia harvests mangoes from September to April and could target U.S. sales between October and March.

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Photo: Foodmag.com.au

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