Australia has approved moth orchid imports from Taiwan after the nation met quarantine requirements, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. Inspections in the six months from July to December last year showed that moth orchid greenhouses met Australia's quarantine requirements, the agency said.
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has officially agreed to lift the suspension of the export deal, which had been in place since 2020, it said. Moth orchids are one of Taiwan's most important export flowers, with more than 50 million plants shipped overseas annually and export revenue of more than US$140 million, the agency said.
Twenty-six greenhouses run by 18 operators in Taiwan are registered with the Australian body as qualified moth orchid exporters, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said, adding that combined they annually export more than 2 million plants, or more than US$7 million worth.
The Australian body suspended imports from Taiwan, and asked the government to enhance quarantine management after pests were found and diseases were detected in some batches of moth orchids from the nation, the agency said, adding that it launched a program to meet Australian quarantine requirements and to improve Taiwan's competitiveness in moth orchid exports.
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