Image: Drosophila suzukii (Spotted wing drosophilia), ranked third on the NPPP list.

The National Priority Plant Pests (NPPP) is developed and maintained by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).  It identifies the most significant threats to Australia from plant pests and diseases and underpins national action and investment to manage these threats.

The list is reviewed every five years, with the most recent update completed in 2024. The current NPPP covers a total of 116 pests and diseases across 37 groups.

The NPPP highlights key threats through a prioritisation process, with two of particular interest to the NFFC, namely spotted wing drosophila and exotic fruit flies. Both of listed among the nation’s top 10 priority pests, ranked third and fourth respectively. These pests represent major risks to the prosperity and long-term viability of Australia’s horticulture sector, and each has a dedicated National Action Plan in place.

The NFFC continues to focus on providing a strong framework for stakeholder cooperation to support these action plans, ensuring Australia maintains its freedom from these economically significant pests.

Over the next 10 editions of the Prevent Fruit Fly newsletter, we will explore each of the top 10 exotic fruit fly threats in detail.

A full list and background information are available from the National Priority Plant Pests page on the DAFF website.