Harvesting produce from an outbreak area

There are rules for harvesting produce in a red outbreak area, known as a Corrective Action Zone (CAZ).

Restricted fruit and vegetables harvested before a declared fruit fly outbreak can be sent to interstate and local South Australian markets, including the Riverland, under area freedom status.

Manage unsold winegrapes

If you're unable to sell some or all of your grapes, you must minimise the risk of the crop becoming an unintentional host for fruit fly.

PIRSA and the wine industry have worked together to review management options available to growers at harvest. You can take these steps:

1. Harvest as early as possible in the grape ripening phase.
2. Harvest unsold winegrape crops onto the ground to desiccate.
3. Set up the harvester to spread the harvested grapes out over the vineyard floor.
4. Where possible, run the harvester over the harvested grapes in the same action to macerate them.
5. Harvest during the daytime so sunlight and heat rapidly begin the desiccation process.

Certification for export

To allow export of produce from an area or property declared free of a specific pest like fruit fly, you need ICA-23 Area or property freedom:

• ICA-23 Area or property freedom based on monitoring by the accrediting authority (PDF 1.3 MB)
• ICA-23 Application and property approval form (PDF 209.0 KB)

Verification of harvesting

PIRSA must verify that your fruit and vegetables have been:

1. Harvested and packed before an outbreak is declared.
2. Securely stored since the outbreak declaration.

To verify this, we require evidence of either your harvest records, or inspection of your storage facility. Harvest records include:

We will inspect your storage facility to make sure it meets secure conditions to prevent the spread of fruit fly.