Market access Development for Bee Products from Vanuatu
This review builds on the work of VAN10 (Stage 1), and recommends ways to strengthen Vanuatu’s biosecurity protection measures for bees and honey products to access target markets of New Zealand and New Caledonia. The review shows that Biosecurity Vanuatu already meets existing New Caledonia import requirements and, provided it implements the disease surveillance plan proposed in this review, could also make a market access submission for New Zealand. It is not economically viable at this stage to undertake the residue sampling required to access EU markets. The review found Vanuatu’s legislative framework is adequate to protect against the introduction of new honey bee pests and diseases. As part of this review, staff from Biosecurity Vanuatu received training in Vanuatu and NZ in the identification and diagnosis of honey bee diseases and pests.
Key words: Apiculture, bee products, zoosanitary regulations, zoosanitary certificate, Asian Honey Bee, Apis cerana, honey residue testing, honey residue sampling, Import Health Standard, European, Foulbrood Disease, American Foulbrood Disease, disease surveillance.
