The main export markets for Pacific Island taro are New Zealand and Australia. The competitiveness of taro in these markets can be significantly affected by the quarantine requirements of the importing countries. In recent years, the main quarantine issue associated with Fiji taro exports to New Zealand is the presence of nematodes. Frequently during on-arrival inspections of taro consignments nematodes are discovered and as a result most consignments exported to New Zealand are fumigated. Fumigation adds to the exporters’ cost structure, and decreases the shelf-life of the product.

Key words: nematode, fumigation, taro corms, quarantine, Aphelenchoides, Ditylenchus, Colocasia esculenta, Helicotylenchus, Meloidogyne, Pratylenchus, Xiphinema, Radopholus similis, Rotylenchulus reniformis

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