Preliminary market access priorities were identified by the Vanuatu Market Access Working Group in February 2011 and included in the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Program (PHAMA) 3-Month Strategic Plan for April to June 2011. This report covers one of the two priorities included for Vanuatu – investigation of diagnostic requirements to service various value-added industries. The value-added industries included in the terms of reference for this study were cocoa, copra meal, virgin coconut oil, kava, vanilla and small quantities of other spices. During

Since first being detected in 2006, Giant African Snail (GAS) has spread widely in and around Honiara and to several areas on Guadalcanal. To date GAS has only been identified in two provincial areas: eradication appears to have been achieved at Noro while the response is in its early stages at Makira. However, due to limited surveillance and awareness in provincial areas, GAS may be distributed more widely than currently understood. Eradication is beyond the resource capability of the Solomon Island Quarantine and Inspection Service

he costs associated with transporting, treating and exporting fruit to New Zealand from Vanuatu are relatively expensive, although they are not at present considered to be too prohibitive to prevent exports of higher value products such as limes and eggplant. There are, however, a number of risks associated with this export pathway which at this time outweigh any potential benefits of its reestablishment. Key words: lime, eggplant, papaya, fruit fly, fruit fly host, HTFA, methyl bromide fumigation, quarantine, biosecurity 

The Draft Review of Import Conditions for Fresh Taro Corms was released for public comment by Biosecurity Australia on 1 March 2011 and the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access program (PHAMA) submit comments for consideration prior to finalisation of this review policy. Key words: taro, taro corms, Fiji ginger weevil, taro beetles, taro plant hopper, taro leaf blight, taro vein chlorosis virus, nematode, pest management, risk management

The purpose of this report is to outline the feasibility of developing a sustainable fruit fly risk mitigation pathway for fruit fly host commodities using dimethoate dipping, for Tonga into Fiji. The report is structured into: Recommendations for the Tongan Market Access Working Group (TMAWG) An overview of the use of dimethoate as a biosecurity treatment in the region Discussion on the fruit flies in Tonga that are likely to be of quarantine concern Follow-up desk, lab and field based activities. Initial discussions on the

Cocoa exports are of increasing importance to Solomon Islands and significant efforts are being made by the industry with donor assistance to increase production, improve export returns and quality. Current legislated quality standards and testing capacity are recognised by industry as being inadequate when compared to the quality requirements of targeted export markets. The industry wishes to develop a new quality standard based on target market requirements and to establish access to adequate quality testing capacity to support market access, protect exporters against reduced payments