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Khapra Beetle – (Trogoderma granarium)

Attention: Shipping Manager

We would like to remind all of our valued clients of the measures currently in place regarding Khapra Beetle.

Khapra Beetle (Trogoderma granarium) is a small but serious hitchhiker pest. It is Australia’s number two National Priority Plant Pest and the number one plant priority pest for grains. It is not present in Australia, but it is a highly invasive pest that poses a major threat to Australia’s grains industry. Khapra beetle destroys grain quality making it unfit for human or animal consumption.

A number of countries, including Australia, have seen a recent increase in khapra interceptions. It is being detected in:

  • imported plant products
  • goods that it previously had no association with
  • sea containers as a hitchhiker pest
  • imports from countries not known to have khapra beetle.

The following are high risk plant products which are a host of khapra beetle:

  • Bean seed (Phaseolus spp.)
  • Celery seed (Apium graveolens)
  • Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum)
  • Coriander seed (Coriandrum sativum)
  • Cucurbit seed (Cucurbita, Cucumis, Citrullus spp.)
  • Cumin seed (Cuminum cyminum)
  • Dried chillies/capsicum (Capsicum spp.)
  • Faba bean, broad bean, fava bean (Vicia faba)
  • Fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare)
  • Lentils (Lens culinaris)
  • Mung beans, cowpeas (Vigna spp.)
  • Pea seed (Pisum sativum)
  • Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea)
  • Pigeon Pea seed (Cajanus cajan)
  • Rice (Oryza sativa)
  • Safflower seed (Carthamus tinctorius)
  • Soybean (Glycine max)
  • Wheat seed (Triticum spp.)

Offshore treatment requirements

High-risk plant products exported from Khapra beetle target risk countries via sea and air freight must be treated offshore.

The treatment must be completed within 21 days of export.

The approved treatment options are:

  • methyl bromide fumigation
  • heat treatment
  • controlled atmosphere treatment
    • altered pressure
    • atmospheric pressure

Measures for other-risk plant products

All other-risk plant products must be:

 

Full Container Load/Full Container Consolidated (FCL/FCX) containers that are packed in a khapra beetle target risk country and will be unpacked in a rural khapra risk postcode of Australia (grain or nut growing areas, see postcode list) must be treated offshore using an approved treatment option.

The container must be:

  • treated prior to packing, except if using methyl bromide fumigation
    • If using methyl bromide fumigation, the container can be treated when empty or when packed (provided it complies with our requirements)
  • treated within 21 days prior to export
  • accompanied by appropriate certification.

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in the export of the container upon arrival in Australia.

Important: The target of these treatments is the container and not the goods/commodity being shipped within the container. However, the goods may also need to be treated offshore.

 

The khapra beetle target risk countries are listed below.

  • Afghanistan
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • Bangladesh
  • Benin
  • Burkina Faso
  • Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
  • Cyprus
  • Egypt
  • Ghana
  • Greece
  • India
  • Iran Islamic Republic of
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Libya
  • Mali
  • Mauritania
  • Morocco
  • Myanmar
  • Nepal
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Somalia
  • South Sudan
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sudan
  • Syrian Arab Republic
  • Timor-Leste
  • Tunisia
  • Türkiye
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Yemen

 

Learn more at: Urgent actions to protect against khapra beetle.