Risk Management Proposal:   
Fresh Dragon Fruit ( Hylocereus spp.) for 
Consumption from Viet Nam 
  
 
FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
August 2013  
 
                         
 
     
Plant Imports 
Plants, Food & Environment 
Ministry for Primary Industries 
Pastoral House 
25 The Terrace 
PO Box 2526 
Wellington 6140 
New Zealand 
 
Tel: +64 4 894 0100 
Fax: +64 4 894 0662 
 
Email: plantimports@mpi.govt.nz  
i  
Contents Page 
 
Purpose 1 
Background 1 
Commodity description 1  
Trade   1 
Source information 1  
International setting 2  
Objective 2 
Summary of risk 2  
Risk management 3  
Pre-harvest activities 4  
Post-harvest activities 5  
Regulatory/ official activities 7  
Feasibility & practicality of measures 8  
Proposed IHS requirements 9  
References 10 
APPENDIX 1: Proposed Regulated Pest List 13  
  
Ministry for Primary Industries  Risk Management Proposal: Dragonfruit from Viet Nam  1 Purpose 
1. The purpose of this document is to: 
 Provide a summary of the biosecurity risk s associated with the import of dragon 
fruit ( Hylocereus  spp.) for human consumption from Viet Nam. 
 Provide the rationale for the preferred option for managing biosecurity risks. 
 Seek stakeholder feedback on the propos ed phytosanitary measures and importing 
requirements for dragon fruit for human consumption from Viet Nam to New 
Zealand. 
Background 
2. The Government of Viet Nam requested acc ess to the New Zealand market for fresh 
dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, ( Hylocereus spp.) for consumption and provided 
information on the pests associated with the fruit.   
3. This pathway has the potential to introdu ce regulated pests into New Zealand and 
therefore an assessment is required to determ ine appropriate measures to manage that 
risk. 
 
COMMODITY DESCRIPTION   
4. Fresh dragon fruit for human consumption is defined as commercially-produced oval-
shaped fruit with protruding soft flat green scales (or bracts) of Hylocereus  spp. of the 
Cactaceae family; excluding stems or flowers.   
5. Synonyms for dragon fruit include Hylocereus  spp., Acanthocereus spp., Cactus  spp., 
Cereus spp.,  Echinocereus spp., Escontria spp., Myrtillocactus geometrizans and 
Stenocereus spp. (USDA 2008a). 
 
TRADE   
6. New Zealand does not import drag on fruit from any country.  
 
7. The United States of America (USA), Japa n and Korea are currently importing large 
volumes of dragon fruit from Viet Nam under a pre-clearance arrangement.  
 
8. Viet Nam also exports dragon fruit to Ca nada, China, Europe, Malaysia, Singapore, 
Taiwan and Thailand (FAO 2012, Fru itNet 2011, Viet Nam News 2012).  
 
SOURCE INFORMATION 
9. The following information was used to assess  the biosecurity risk s and the appropriate 
phytosanitary measures to manage regulated pests associated with dragon fruit from 
Viet Nam. 
a) Pest list jointly developed by Landcar e Research and Viet Nam’s MARD and 
funded by NZAID. 
b) USDA APHIS (2008a) Importation of Red Dragon Fruit (Red Pitaya) ( Hylocereus 
spp.) from Viet Nam, A Pathwa y-Initiated Risk Assessment. 
c) USDA APHIS (2008b) Importation of Red Dragon Fruit (Red Pitaya) ( Hylocereus 
spp.) from Viet Nam into the continen tal United States: Risk Management 
Document.  
2  Risk Management Proposal: Dragonfruit from Viet Nam Ministry for Primary Industries d) USDA APHIS (2011) Importation of Fresh Pitaya Fruit, Hylocereus spp. and 
Several Other Genera and Species, from Central America into the Continental 
United States. 
10. Many pests have previously b een assessed by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in 
import risk analyses for other commodities: 
a) MAF (2007a) Importation into New Zealand of durian ( Durio zibethinus ) fresh 
fruit from Thailand: Datasheets.  
b) MAF (2007b) Import Risk Analysis: Litchi chinensis (Litchi) fresh fruit from 
Taiwan.  
c) MAF (2008) Import Risk Analysis: Fresh Citrus Fruit (7 species) from Samoa.  
 
11. The existing import risk analyses for other pathways and information from the literature 
was used to identify risk groups of regulat ed pests and the appropriate phytosanitary 
measures to manage the risk of introduction.    
12. A pathway assurance visit by a MPI plant im port official confirmed the current post-
harvest practises undertaken in  Viet Nam for dragon fruit. 
 
INTERNATIONAL SETTING 
13. Where possible, phytosanitary measures are aligned with intern ational standards, 
guidelines, and recommendations  as per New Zealand’s obli gations under Article 3.1 of 
the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sa nitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS 
Agreement, WTO 1995) and section 23(4 )(c) of the Biosecurity Act 1993.  
14. The SPS Agreement states that phytosanitary measures must not discriminate unfairly 
between countries or between imported or domestically produced goods, and where there 
is a choice of phytosanitary measures to reduce risk to an acceptable level, WTO 
members must select the leas t trade restrictive measure .  
Objective 
15. The objective of the proposed  phytosanitary measures is to effectively manage known 
biosecurity risks associated with  the importation of dragon fruit ( Hylocereus spp.) for 
human consumption from Viet Nam. 
Summary of risk 
16. The pest list identified 14 specific regulat ed pests associated with Vietnamese dragon 
fruit (Appendix 1). MPI has categorised thes e regulated pests into  three groups based on 
their association with the fruit. These groups  are: internal arthropods (i.e. found feeding 
internally in fruit), external arthropods (i.e . found on the fruit surface) and fruit pathogens 
(Table 1).   
 
 
 
   
Ministry for Primary Industries  Risk Management Proposal: Dragonfruit from Viet Nam  3 17. Table 1.  Summary of regulated pest groups associ ated with dragon fruit from Viet Nam  
Risk Group Characteristics Regulated pests  
External arthropods Mainly polyphagous; 
Dragon fruit is a known host; At least one life stage is likely to be  present on fruit at harvest; Relevant life stages may be mobile;  Able to actively disperse or be sessile.Diaspis echinocacti   
Dysmicoccus neobrevipes   
Ferrisia virgata  
Lopholeucaspis cockerelli   
Planococcus lilacinus  
Planococcus minor  
Internal arthropods 
 Adult or larvae feed within the fruit; 
Dragon fruit is a known host; Dragon fruit are used by at least one  life stage; Little capacity for active dispersal. Bactrocera correcta 
Bactrocera cucurbitae Bactrocera dorsalis 
Fruit pathogens Some infected fruits may be 
asymptomatic at harvest; Dispersal of dry spores mainly  through air by wind; Detected during storage. Aspergillus avenaceus 
Aspergillus flavus  var. flavus
Aspergillus tubingensis 
Curvularia oryzae Penicillium charlesii 
 
18. Internally feeding pests were assessed as th e highest risk requiring specific measures and 
included all species of Bactrocera  (Diptera: Tephriditae) . Any incursions of fruit fly could 
disrupt trade and potentially incur large ec onomic losses for New Zealand exporters of 
fruit fly host material.  
19. A number of external arthropods and fruit pathogens (associated with dragon fruit post-
harvest) were also identified as likely to follow the pathway but could be effectively 
managed by the specific measures required fo r fruit fly and other pos t-harvest activities. 
Risk management 
20. The following assessment of pre- and post-harves t practises reflects the current system for 
risk management employed by Vi et Nam’s commercial producers1 of dragon fruit. It is 
proposed that commercial practises combined  with a specific post-harvest vapour heat 
treatment (VHT) and other MPI requirements (e .g. phytosanitary inspection) are used to 
manage the risks to New Zealand posed by sp ecific regulated pests associated with the 
importation of dragon fruit fr om Viet Nam (Table 2).  
  
                                                 
1  Fruit for export from Viet Nam to New Zealand must be produ ced commercially and have effective traceability systems at all st ages of the 
export chain.  This ensures that it is produced to the describe d standard practices to reduce the risk of pathogen infection an d pest infestation, 
especially with respect to economical ly important species of fruit fly.  
4  Risk Management Proposal: Dragonfruit from Viet Nam Ministry for Primary Industries 21. Table 2.  Overview of the system for the commer cial production and export of dragon fruit 
from Viet Nam to New Zealand.  
Activities Outcome(s) 
Pre-Harvest  
a) In-field pest control activities  
a) Reduced pre-harvest pest prevalence. 
b) Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) 
e.g. cultural controls such as removal 
of weeds acting as pest reservoirs; pesticide application records; fruit traceability system. b) Reduced pre-harvest pest prevalence.  
c) Fruit fly control programme  c) Reduced pest prevalence through 
monitoring of fruit fly infestations and application of appropriate controls.  
Post-Harvest   
a) Pre-treatment procedures  a) Inspection of fruit and removal of external 
arthropod pests or infested/infected fruit. 
b) Vapour heat treatment (VHT) b) 100% mortality of internal and external 
arthropod pests and reduced development of epiphytic fungal pathogens. 
c) Post-treatment procedures c) Operator inspection and verification of the 
mortality of external  arthropod pests.  
Reduced development of epiphytic fungal 
pathogens. 
Regulatory/Official   
a) Phytosanitary inspection and 
certification of consignments  a) Certification by MARD that consignments 
are free from regulated pests. 
b) Post-inspection product security b) Prevention of post-treatment reinfestation of 
consignments by regulated pests e.g. pest-proof packaging. 
c) MPI inspection of documentation and 
consignment on arrival in NZ c) Verification that requi rements of the IHS 
have been met. 
d) Non-conformance contingencies d) Treat/reship/destroy non-conforming 
consignment.  
e) Pathway monitoring e) Assurance that IHS requirements are being 
met.  
 
PRE-HARVEST ACTIVITIES 
a) In-field pest control practices 
22. Vietnamese growers currently utilize pest co ntrol measures to reduce pre-harvest pest 
prevalence in commercially produced dragon fruits for export to other countries. These measures include a fruit fly control program me, and compliance with Good Agricultural 
Practice (GAP) as outlined below.  
23. MARD reports that the major pests controlled by pesticides  during dragon fruit production 
are:  
Ministry for Primary Industries  Risk Management Proposal: Dragonfruit from Viet Nam  5  Solenopsis geminata (red ants) 
 Aphis  spp. 
 Nezara viridula2 
 Fruit flies ( B. dorsalis , B. cucurbitae , B. correcta ) 
 Fungi associated with  twigs and stems ( Alternaria sp., Gloeosporium agaves , 
Spacelonia sp.) 
b) Good Agricultural Practice (GAP)  
24. Binh Thuan Province has nearly 4,000 ha of dragon fruit trees grown under the VietGAP 
standards, including 122.8 ha meeting GlobalGAP  standards and nearly  1000 ha certified by 
the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(USDA APHIS, MARD 2013).  
25. The GlobalGAP standard for dragonfruit production requires tr aining programmes for 
farmers and provincial government representati ve’s safe use of agrichemicals, on-farm 
recording of fertilizer applic ations and crop protection products , inventory, sales, keeping 
receipts of input purchases and sales record-keeping, and safe fruit handling.  
26. The VietGAP scheme also requires cultural control practises to be undertaken such as 
removal/suppression of weeds and fallen fru it which act as reservoirs for pests.  
27. GAP is not a phytosanitary requirement but is a dvantageous for record keeping, particularly 
with respect to crop protection practises. GAP is  also important for defining harvesting and 
post-harvest handling activitie s, traceability a nd recall throughout the export chain.  
c) Fruit fly control programme 
28. A specific programme is in place for fruit flie s in Viet Nam which includes surveillance to 
detect and determine species composition, a nd infestation rates. The programme is 
maintained by Viet Nam’s Ministry of Ag riculture and Rural Development (MARD) 
throughout the year in dra gon fruit production areas.  
29. The surveillance programme inco rporates trapping using cue lure and methyl eugenol, 
dragon fruit orchard surveys, pe riodic random and targeted cut ting of fruit collected from 
orchards and local markets. A protein bait sp ray + insecticide (malathion) is applied in 
orchards for fruit fly control.  
 
POST-HARVEST ACTIVITIES 
a) Pre-treatment procedures  
30. Harvested dragon fruits are: 
i. Covered with insect proof material to prevent reinfe station by arthropods during 
transit to primary pack houses or  directly to VHT facilities;  
ii. Leaves and stems (but not bracts ) are removed from the fruit; 
iii. Damaged/infested/infected fruit is removed; 
iv. Fruits are individually cleaned  using high pressure air; 
v. Fruits are packed by hand into pl astic perforated crates for VHT. 
31. The above activities provide opportunity fo r operator inspection of fruit prior to 
treatment. External arthropods can be physica lly removed from fruit or fruit discarded 
due to infestation, infection or damage prior to treatment. Removal of damaged fruit can 
reduce the incidence of storag e rots in fruit (Wareing 2012). 
                                                 
2 Non-regulated  
6  Risk Management Proposal: Dragonfruit from Viet Nam Ministry for Primary Industries b) Vapour heat treatment (VHT) 
32. The current pre-harvest and pre-treatment pr ocedures are aimed at reducing regulated 
pest prevalence rather than re moving all risk arthropods associ ated with dragon fruit from 
Viet Nam. Therefore, MPI consider a treatm ent is necessary to manage residual risk, 
especially from internally feeding arthropods, su ch as fruit fly, which may not be easily 
detectable by visual inspection.    
33. MARD has indicated treatment preferences  for vapour heat treatment (VHT) and 
irradiation and has provided supporting efficacy da ta. At present MPI is unable to accept 
irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment for drag onfruit as this commodity is not approved 
by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)3.  
 
34. VHT is a well established treatment t echnology and is approved by MPI as a 
phytosanitary measure for mangoes and papa ya from various countries including  
mangoes from Viet Nam.  
35. Viet Nam exports vapour heat treated dra gon fruit to Japan (Viet Nam Net/VNA, 2009) 
and South Korea and therefore has the processe s and quality systems established for this 
treatment type.  
 
Treatment efficacy 
36. MARD has worked closely with  the Government of Japan (J apan International Cooperation 
Agency, JICA) on the development of an effi cacious vapour heat quarantine treatment for 
dragon fruit against Bactrocera correcta , B. cucurbitae  and B. dorsalis.    
 
37. Data were provided to MPI for small-scale mortality tests of 3,000 - 5,000 individuals and 
large-scale confirmatory tests using > 30,000 indi viduals of the most tolerant life stage. 
38. The critical information for determining that VHT  of dragon fruit at a fruit core temperature 
of ≥ 46.5C for ≥ 40 minutes was efficacious at managing the risk posed by fruit fly was: 
i. Colonies of fruit flies used in experiment s were no more than one year old or were 
replenished with wild flies at  least once every 12 months. 
ii. Rearing methods, rates of development and a dult emergence rates were determined for 
each species, i.e. 
Species  Development time 
   (egg to adult emergence) Emergence rate 
(adults from eggs) 
B. dorsalis 16.5 days 46.0% 
B. cucurbitae 14.6 days 80.2% 
B. correcta 16.3 days 69.1% 
 
iii. Bactrocera dorsalis  1st instar larvae and B. correcta mature eggs were the most 
[vapour] heat tolerant  species and stages. 
iv. Test fruits were free from pesticides prior to experimentation and fruit was artificially 
inoculated for testing. 
v. Large scale confirmatory mortality tests show ed that a [dragon] fruit core temperature 
of 46.5C for 40 minutes resulted in 100% mortality of B. dorsalis 1st instar larvae 
(40,589 larvae in four replicates) and B. correcta mature eggs (35,325 eggs in two 
replications).  Appropriate controls were used throughout. 
                                                 
3 Irradiated foods must go through a strict assessment by FSANZ .  At present breadfruit, caram bola, custard apple, litchi, longa n, mango, 
mangosteen, papaya and rambutan are the only commodities approved for irradiation as a phytosanitary measure by FSANZ.  Further  
information can be found at http://www.foodstandards.govt.nz/ .  
Ministry for Primary Industries  Risk Management Proposal: Dragonfruit from Viet Nam  7   
39. A brief summary of the efficacy of vapour heat  treatment against external arthropods can 
be found in the MPI Risk Management  Proposal: Mangoes from India, at: 
http://www.biosecurity. govt.nz/files/biosec/cons ult/rmp_mango_india.pdf   
 
40. It is reported that brief hot water (50-65 C) treatments can remove surface fungal spores 
(Lurie and Klein 2010) and retard post-harvest diseases (Mansour et al.  2006) . Given that the 
proposed vapour heat treatment is at a lower temperature (46.5°C) but for a longer time (40 
minutes) it is reasonable to assume that the tr eatment will have some impact on the viability 
of fruit pathogens. However, as the efficacy of the treatment against pathogens is not defined, 
the measure needs support from visual inspection. Visual inspection occurs at multiple stages throughout the post-harvest pr ocessing of the fruit. 
c) Post-treatment procedures 
41. Following VHT, dragon fruits are: 
i. Cooled; 
ii. Moisture is removed from individual fruits by rubbing with a cotton cloth; 
iii. Damaged and diseased fruit are removed; 
iv. Fruits are packed manually in to insect-proof packaging. 
 
42. The above activities provide opportunity for vi sual inspection of fruit following treatment 
and the removal of damaged and diseased fr uit. Visual inspection is considered an 
appropriate risk management option for re gulated pests such as mealybugs and scale 
insects as they are detectable  on the surface of dragon fruit. 
 
43. The above activities ( ii-iv) are likely to contribute to the reduction of fungal growth on fruit 
in storage. That is: 
 Drying of fruit reduces the opportunities for spores to germinate and cause 
infection; and  
 Removal of damaged or diseased fruit decr eases potential inocul um for infection. 
 
REGULATORY/ OFFICIAL ACTIVITIES 
a) Phytosanitary inspection and certification  
44. Phytosanitary inspection and cer tification is a requirement of MPI’s IHSs. Therefore, 
MPI requires a phytosanitary certificate issued by MARD  to accompany dragon fruit 
exported from Viet Na m to New Zealand.  
 
45. Before a phytosanitary certificate is i ssued, MARD must conduct phytosanitary 
inspection to ensure that the number of packag ed fruit is consistent with the number of 
disinfested fruits, traceability la belling is complete, packaging is insect-proof, the fruit is 
free from regulated pests and that all othe r importing country requirements have been 
met.   
b) Post-inspection product security 
46. MPI requires methods to be implemented to  ensure post-inspecti on product security 
including insect-proof packaging, insect screening of storage facilities, at  least yearly pre-
season insecticide treatment of storage facility, and secure lo ading and transport of fruit.  
8  Risk Management Proposal: Dragonfruit from Viet Nam Ministry for Primary Industries c) MPI inspection on arrival in New Zealand  
47. MPI will inspect documentation on arrival in New Zealand.  In addition, MPI may 
inspect a sample from each lot on arrival in New Zealand to verify requirements of the 
IHS have been met.  
d) Non-compliance contingencies 
48. If a treatment has failed, or regulated pests, extraneous plant material or trash are 
intercepted, one or more of the following actions will be undertaken: re-sorting of the consignment, treatment where an efficacious  treatment is available, re-shipment or 
destruction of the consignment and/or the temporary suspension of the pathway on the 
detection of regulated pests for which pre-e xport phytosanitary measur es are required (i.e. 
fruit flies). The suspension will continue unt il the cause of the non-compliance has been 
identified and corrective actions have b een implemented and approved by MPI.  
e) Pathway monitoring 
49. MPI will monitor interceptions of hitchhikers  and the appropriateness/effectiveness of 
phytosanitary measures on the commencement of  trade. Currently, organisms have their 
regulatory status classified on the MPI Bi osecurity Organisms Register for Imported 
Commodities (BORIC) ( http://www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecur ity/pests-diseases/registers-
lists/boric/ ).  
Feasibility & practicality of measures 
50. Viet Nam exports vapour heat treated dra gon fruit to Japan (Viet Nam Net/VNA, 2009) 
and South Korea and therefore has the processe s and quality systems established for this 
treatment type.   
51. A product traceability system is in place for the export of dragon fruit to the USA. 
MARD have proposed using the same system for export to New Zealand.  
Ministry for Primary Industries  Risk Management Proposal: Dragonfruit from Viet Nam  9 Proposed IHS requirements   
52. The proposed IHS requirements are:   
LIST OF TREATMENT OPTIONS (MPI/MINISTR Y OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
OFFICIAL ASSURANCE PROGRAMME) 
 
APPENDIX 
NUMBER4 TREATMENT SPECIFICATION COMMODITY 
xxx Vapour heat treatment Fruit co re temperature raised from 
ambient to 46.5°C or above for at least 40 minutes Dragon fruit 
(Hylocereus spp.) 
 
 
53. The proposed additional declarations are: 
The dragon fruit in this consignment have: 
i) been visually inspected in accordance with  appropriate official procedures and found 
free from regulated pests specified by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary 
Industries (MPI). 
AND 
ii) been produced in accordance w ith terms of, and treated as per Appendix xxx of the 
Official Assurance Programme between the New Zealand Ministry for Primary 
Industries (MPI) and the Ministry of Agri culture and Rural Development (MARD) of 
Viet Nam. 
 
  
 
                                                
 
4 Number may change depending on the final fo rmat of the official assurance programme NOTE: Full details of the vapour heat tr eatment, including temperature and 
duration, must be included in the “Disin festation and/or Disinfection Treatment” 
area of the phytosanitary certificate or as an endorsed attachment to the 
phytosanitar y certificate.  
10  Risk Management Proposal: Dragonfruit from Viet Nam Ministry for Primary Industries References 
BCRC (2012) Aspergillus avenaceus . 
http://www.bcrc.firdi.org.tw/f ungi/fungal_detail.jsp?id=FU200802210015     
Beard, R.L., Walton, G.S. 1971. Insect icidal mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus   var. 
columaris . Bulletin of the Connecticut Agri cultural Experiment Station , New Haven, No. 725. 
http://openlibrary.org/works/OL15752052W/Ins ecticidal_mycotoxins_produced_by_Aspergil
lus_flavus_var._columnaris   
Ben-Dov, Y., Miller, D.R. and Gibs on, G.A.P. 2010. ScaleNet. WEB site: 
http://www.sel.barc.usda .gov/scalenet/scalenet.htm , retrieved, November 2010. 
Biosecurity Act 1993. http://www.legislation.govt.nz/default.aspx   
CABI 2010. CABI-Crop Protec tion Compendium. CAB Intern ational, Wallingford, UK. 
http://www.cabicompendium.org/  
Charles, J.G. & Henderson, R.C. 2002. Catalogue  of the exotic armoured scale insects 
(Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Diaspididae) in New Z ealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New 
Zealand, 32(4): 587-615. 
Davidson, J.A. and Miller, D.R. 1990. The Armo red Scale Insects, Their Biology, Natural 
Enemies and Control, Vol B 3.9.8. Ornamental Pl ants. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. 
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 
FAO, 2012. 4.5 Dragonfruit. http://www.vivapitaya.com/network_files/fao.htm   
Farr, D.F., Rossman, A.Y. (2013) Fungal Data bases, Systematic Mycology and Microbiology 
Laboratory, ARS, USDA. Retr ieved February 3, 2013, from http://nt.ars-
grin.gov/fungaldatabases/   
Fruitnet, 2011. Vietnam dragon fruit exports to double. 
http://www.fruitnet.com/content.aspx?cid=9687   
GBIF (2012) Aspergillus avenzceus . 
http://taiwanmicrobe.bcrc.fir di.org.tw/detail.jsp?id=14375164     
Hodgson, C.J. and Henderson, R.C. 2000. Coccidae (insecta: Hemiptera: Coccoidea). Fauna 
of New Zealand 51: 1-229. 
Landcare Research (2012a) Invasive an ts: Information sheets. Accessed online 
http://www.landcareresearch.c o.nz/science/plants-animals-
fungi/animals/invertebrates/in vasive-invertebrates/invasi ve-ants/inforamtion-sheets  
Landcare Research (2012b) NZfungi, New Zealand fungi (and bacteria) 
http://nzfungi.landcareres earch.co.nz/html/mycology.asp  
Lima, I.M.M., Gama,  N.S. 2001. Record of host plants (Cactaceae) and new dissemination 
strategy of Diaspis echinocacti  (Bouche) (Hemiptera: Diaspidida e), prickly-pea r-scale, in the 
States of Pernambuco and Alagoas, Brazil.  Neotropical Entomology , 30: 3, 479-481. 
Lurie, S. and Klein, J.D. (2010)  Temperature Preconditioning. In  Postharvest Biology and 
Technology. http://www.ne-postharvest.com/hb66/section2.doc  
MAF 2007a. Importation into New Zealand of durian ( Durio zibethinus ) fresh fruit from 
Thailand: Datasheets. http://www.biosecurity.go vt.nz/files/biosec/c onsult/draft-durian-
thailand-ihs-datasheets.pdf   
MAF 2007b. Import Risk Analysis: Litchi chinensis (Litchi) fresh fruit from Taiwan. 
http://www.biosecurity.govt .nz/files/regs/imports/ris k/litchee-taiwan-ra.pdf    
Ministry for Primary Industries  Risk Management Proposal: Dragonfruit from Viet Nam  11 MAF 2008. Import Risk Analysis: Fresh Citrus Fruit (7 species) from Samoa. 
http://www.biosecurity. govt.nz/files/regs/imports/risk/citrus-samoa-ra.pdf  
Mansour, F.S. Abd-El-Aziz, S.A., Helal, G.A. 2006. Effect of fruit heat treatment in three 
mango varieties on incidence of post-harvest fungal disease. Journal of Plant Pathology , 
88(2): 141-148. 
MARD (2013) Fruit fly management for dragon fruit production in Viet Nam – a presentation 
for New Zealand market (April 22, 2013) Internal report.  
Miller, D.R., Davidson, J.A. 1990. 3.1.1 A List of the Armored Scale Insect Pests. Armored 
Scale Insects, Their Biology, Natural Enemie s and Control [Series ti tle: World Crop Pests, 
Vol. 4B].  Elsevier, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 688 pp.  
Pennycook, S. 1989a. Plant diseases recorded  in New Zealand Vol. 2 . Plant Diseases 
Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Auckland, New Zealand 
Pennycook, S.1989b. Plant diseases recorded  in New Zealand Vol. 3 . Plant Diseases 
Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Auckland, New Zealand 
PPIN (2013). Plant Pest Information Networ k database, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand. 
Spiller, D.M.; Wise, K.A.J. 1982. A catalogue (1860 - 1960) of New Zealand insects and their 
host plants. DSIR; Wellington; 260 pp. 
Stevens, D.A., Drummer, S., Patterson, T.F. 1999. Practice Guidelines for Diseases Caused 
by Aspergillus . http://3y.uu456.com/bp-02316829bd64783e09122b96-1.html    
To, L.V. Hgu, N., Duc, N.D., Trink, D.T.K., Thanh, N.C., Mien, D.V.H., Hai, C.N., Long, 
T.N. 2000. Quality Assurance system for dragon fruit. In  Quality assurance in agricultural 
produce , Eds G.I. Johnson, L.V. To, N.D. Du c and M.C. Webb, ACIAR Proceedings 100. 
USDA APHIS 2008a. Importation of Re d Dragon Fruit (Red Pitaya) ( Hylocereus spp.) from 
Viet Nam A Pathway-Initiated Risk Assessment. http://www.regulations.gov/#!docum entDetail;D=APHIS-2008-0065-0002
  
USDA APHIS 2008b. Importation of Re d Dragon Fruit (Red Pitaya) ( Hylocereus spp.) from 
Viet Nam into the continental United States: Risk Management Document. 
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docum entDetail;D=APHIS-2008-0065-0003   
USDA APHIS 2011. Pest List for the Importatio n of Dragon Fruit (multiple genera and 
species) into the Continental United States from Thailand  
http://www.acfs.go.th/FileSPS/TextSPS%20USA%202239.pdf   
Viet Nam Net/VNA 2009. http://english.Viet Namnet.vn/biz/2009/07/859709/  First vapour 
heat treatment factory inaugurated. 
Việt Nam News 2012. Dragonfruit leads fruit exports. 
http://vietnamnews.vn/Economy/233011/dr agonfruit-leads-fruit-exports.html   
Wareing, P. 2012. The fungal infection of ag ricultural produce and the production of 
mycotoxins. http://services.leatherheadfood.c om/eman/FactSheet.aspx?ID=78   
WTO. 1995. Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures . Geneva: World Trade 
Organisation. 
  
 APPENDIX 1: Proposed Regulated Pest List 
The list below has been generated from the diffe rent information sources described in the Source information section. 
Organisms were only identified as a risk  and included on the regulated pest li st for the commodity if they were: 
a. present in Viet Nam, and 
b. absent from New Zealand or under official control, and 
c. likely to be present on the path way if risk was unmanaged, and 
d. known to be associated with fruit, and 
e. host species are present in New Zealand, and 
f. climatically able to establish in New Zealand and/or 
g. likely to cause high economic impact  to New Zealand (eg. fruit fly). 
 Note: Some organisms not added to the regul ated pest list remain ‘regul ated pests’ that may warra nt action upon interception. 
 
Organism/Authority Taxonomy Present in NZ5 Brief pest risk assessment  
 Measures to prevent entry & 
establishment 
EXTERNAL ARTHROPODS     
Diaspis echinocacti  (Bouche) 
 Homoptera: Diaspididae N A pest of Cactaceae species (Lima & Gama 2001) and Portulaca grandiflora  throughout the world in 
both indoors and outdoors (Davidson & Miller 1990). Visual inspection6  
[VHT measure likely to impact 
on this organism] 
Ferrisia virgata  (Cockerell)  Homoptera: Pseudococcidae N Ferrisia virgata  is one of the most highly polyphagous mealybugs known, attacking plant species 
belonging to some 160 genera in over 70 families (Ben-Dov et al.  2010; CABI 2010). Many of the 
host species belong to the Leguminosae and Euphorbi aceae families. Specific pest control activities 
are required for this pest on th e IHS for table grapes from Peru.  Visual inspection 
 
[VHT measure likely to impact 
on this organism]  
Lopholeucaspis cockerelli  (Grandpré & 
Charmoy)  
 Homoptera: Diaspididae N Not considered a hazard on citrus from Samoa as the species is usually found on stems and leaves 
(MAF 2008). However, this species is known to be associated with the fruit and stems of dragon fruit 
(USDA 2008) and is therefore considered a risk on this pathway. Visual inspection 
 
[VHT measure likely to impact 
on this organism] 
Planococcus lilacinus (Cockerell)  
 Homoptera: Pseudococcidae N P. lilacinus is polyphagous. If it were to establish in New Zealand it is likely to cause moderate to 
serious damage to citrus and grapes, particularly in the warmest regions. However, climate is likely 
to limit its impact (MAF 2007a). Visual inspection 
 
[VHT measure likely to impact 
on this organism] 
Planococcus minor (Maskell)  
 Homoptera: Pseudococcidae N Planococcus minor  occurs in temperate climates and is r ecorded from more than 250 host plants in 
nearly 80 families (MAF 2008). The pest could establish in NZ and is considered a risk on other  import pathways (MAF 2008). Visual inspection 
 
[VHT measure likely to impact 
on this organism] 
Dysmicoccus neobrevipes (Beardsley) 
  Homoptera: Pseudococcidae N This species is highly polyphagous and hosts incl ude tomato and citrus.  D. neobrevipes is found 
worldwide in tropical and subtropical zones. It is possible that D. neobrevipes  could establish in the 
warmer regions of New Zealand (MAF 2008). Visual inspection 
 
[VHT measure likely to impact 
                                                 
5 Arthropod presence/absence reco rds were checked against:  
 Charles & Henderson 2002 (Homoptera: Diaspididae) 
 Hodgson & Henderson (2000) (Homoptera: Coccidae) 
 Spiller & Wise (1982) (Insecta) 
 PPIN 2013 (MPI’s Plant Pest Information Network database) 
 Fungus presence/absence records were checked against: 
 Farr & Rossman 2013 
 Landcare 2012b 
 PPIN 2013 
 Pennycook (1989a,b) 
 
6 Visual inspection – phytosanitary visual inspection by NPPO 
  
14  Risk Management Proposal: Dragonfruit from Viet Nam Ministry for Primary Industries Organism/Authority Taxonomy Present in NZ5 Brief pest risk assessment  
 Measures to prevent entry & 
establishment 
 on this organism] 
INTERNAL ARTHROPODS      
Bactrocera correcta (Bezzi)  Diptera: Tephritidae N This pest has a wide and economically important host range. Temporary populations of any fruit fly 
species could have an economic impact in New Z ealand. Ongoing surveilla nce for fruit fly requires 
New Zealand to notify trading partners of any incu rsions, which could disrupt trade and potentially 
mean large economic losses for exporters of fruit fly host material.  VHT ≥ 46.5º C for ≥ 40 minutes  
Bactrocera curcurbitae (Coquillett)  Diptera: Tephritidae N The melon fly is an internationally rec ognised pest on a wide range of host plants. Many of its known 
hosts are common horticultural and garden species grow n throughout New Zealand. It is likely to be 
able to establish and cause unwanted consequences in many parts of New Zealand. It also has high 
fecundity and is very mobile (MAF 2007b). VHT ≥ 46.5º C for ≥ 40 minutes 
Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)  Diptera: Tephritidae N B. dorsalis is an internationally recognised pest on a wi de range of host plants. Many of its known 
hosts are common horticultural and garden species grown throughout New Zealand. It also has 
potential to impact some native NZ species. It  should be able to establish and cause unwanted 
consequences in many parts of New Zealand. It has high fecundity and is very mobile (MAF 2007b).  VHT ≥ 46.5º C for ≥ 40 minutes  
FRUIT PATHOGENS      
Aspergillus avenaceus  (Smith) 
 Ascomycetes: Eurotiales N This species has b een found on dragon fruit during storage (To et al. 2000). The fungus is also 
known to be present in India, Taiwan, South Afri ca, Sweden, UK and Zambia and associated with 
pea seed (BCRC 2012, GBIF 2012). This saprophytic  mould is also known to be associated with 
human infection following inhalation of airborne conidia (Stevens et al. 1999). Aspergillus  species 
produce dry spore types that are easily dispersed through the air by wind. Visual inspection 
[VHT measure likely to impact 
on this organism] 
Aspergillus flavus var. Columnaris  (Raper & 
Fennell) Ascomycetes: Eurotiales N This species has b een found on dragon fruit during storage (To et al.  2000). Early experimental data 
suggests that this fungus can produce a variety of metabolites that are toxic to insects but is 
dependent on growth substrate and other conditions (Beard & Walton 1971). Aspergillus  species 
produce dry spore types that are easily dispersed through the air by wind. Visual inspection 
[VHT measure likely to impact 
on this organism] 
Aspergillus tubingensis (Mosseray) [syn.  
Aspergillus niger var. tubingensis ] Ascomycetes: Eurotiales N This species has b een found on dragon fruit during storage (To et al.  2000). Aspergillus  species 
produce dry spore types that are easily dispersed through the air by wind. Visual inspection 
[VHT measure likely to impact 
on this organism] 
Curvularia oryzae (Bugnic.)  Ascomycetes: Dothideales N This  species has been found on dragon fruit during storage (To et al.  2000). Curvularia  species 
produce dry spores that are formed in fragile chains  and are very easily dispersed through the air by 
wind. Visual inspection 
[VHT measure likely to impact 
on this organism] 
Penicillium charlesii  (Smith R.) Ascomycetes: Eurotiales N A cosmopolitan species found in soil and on plant material (Farr & Rossman 1989). All the  species in 
the Penicillium  genus produce dry spore types that are easily dispersed through the air by wind. Visual inspection 
[VHT measure likely to impact 
on this organism]