Welcome to the Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) Biosecurity Report, your one-stop update on the latest operational issues and notices issued by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). This report is designed to keep you informed and prepared to manage biosecurity compliance effectively in an ever-changing landscape.
This Week in Biosecurity
As we mark the official start of the 2025–26 Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) season, industry is experiencing the calm before the storm. This week's report covers the Department's wrap-up of Talisman Sabre 2025, the latest ABARES forecast setting new production records, updates to export requirements, and several important BICON case changes.
We hope you enjoy this week's report.
Summary - Biosecurity support for Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025
Australia has concluded its largest-ever defence exercise, Talisman Sabre 2025, involving 19 nations across joint land, sea, and air operations, with the Department playing a critical role in safeguarding the exercise through strong biosecurity measures.
More than 200 departmental staff, including 20 officers deployed offshore across eight partner nations, conducted around 500 days of inspections to ensure all personnel, vessels, aircraft, and military equipment were free from biosecurity threats before entering Australia.
This surge effort, supported at domestic points of entry, ensured risks were managed offshore and operations ran uninterrupted, demonstrating how robust biosecurity underpins both agricultural protection and national security. The conclusion of Talisman Sabre coincides with National Biosecurity Week, reinforcing the vital role biosecurity plays every day in protecting Australia's people, environment, and economy. Read more HERE. - Record highs as Ag, Fish and Forestry Sectors Crack $100 Billion
Australia's agriculture, fisheries and forestry production is forecast to reach a record $101.6 billion in 2025–26.
Key Drivers: - Livestock: Strong prices for beef, lamb and milk push livestock production to $41.6 billion, lifting overall agriculture to a record $94.7 billion.
- Crops: Wheat value and production expected to ease due to lower global prices and yields (still above 10-year average). Barley, pulses, and canola are supporting the 3rd largest winter crop on record, aided by good rainfall in SA, VIC, and WA (NSW south remains a concern).
- Exports: Forecast at $74.6 billion – the 3rd highest on record. Beef and sheep meat exports will fall, but horticulture and wheat exports will rise, with strong demand from China, Japan and the US.
Despite a mixed cropping picture and global uncertainty, Australian food and fibre remain in high demand internationally. Read more HERE. - MAA 2025-18 – Amended Export Health Certificates for Milk and Milk Products to Great Britain
From 31 August 2025, amended export health certificates (ZDGB01) will apply for milk and milk products exported to Great Britain. Key changes include mandatory provision of the header storage establishment (the last Australian manufacturing or cold storage site, which must be on Great Britain's approved list) on all Requests for Export (REX), appearing in Box I.11 'Place of Origin'. Exporters must also record the total gross weight for each product line, with Box I.20 'Quantity' now showing both gross and net weights (previously only net). Exporters are encouraged to subscribe to the Micor update service for weekly notifications of commodity-specific changes. Read more HERE. - BICON Updates – Effective late August/September 2025
Several important changes have been introduced to BICON. For the 2025–26 Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) risk season (from 1 September 2025), Ethyl Formate has been added as a new approved offshore treatment option, and an additional import scenario question now applies to relevant consignments. From 1 September 2025, bivalve molluscs and mollusc products from Spain must be accompanied by mandatory government certification and testing in line with updated food safety requirements. As of 30 August 2025, two newly assessed species have been added to the 'Plant species that are weeds' case and are not permitted for import due to their invasive potential. Updates have also been made to the Fish oil BICON case. This serves as a timely reminder for the industry to sign up for notifications on relevant BICON cases to stay across changes as they occur.
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