Biosecurity Plan for the Berry Sector

December 18, 2020

This year, PHA coordinated and developed the Biosecurity Plan for the Berry Sector (Version 1.0, December 2020) in collaboration with government and industry. The plan will help the berry sector to continue to minimise and manage biosecurity risks to ensure its future growth and sustainability.

Biosecurity planning is a process that identifies biosecurity risks and strategies to mitigate the impact of established and exotic pests. Biosecurity plans use a strategic framework to prioritise investment and biosecurity activities for Australia’s plant production industries. Furthermore, biosecurity planning ensures that plant industries comply with their legal obligations as signatories to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD).

The Biosecurity Plan for the Berry Sector has been endorsed by the rubus (Raspberries and Blackberries Australia) and strawberry (Strawberries Australia Inc.) peak industry bodies, and state and territory governments through the Plant Health Committee. The plan also incorporated information from the existing Biosecurity Plan for the Blueberry Industry to create a unified document that reflects all the industry shareholders of Berries Australia Ltd.

The plan identifies 21 High Priority Pests from over 330 exotic threats to the berry sector. It also outlines actions to support biosecurity preparedness and response capacity which could be undertaken through the ongoing partnership between government and the berry sector.