Rakhi is a busy season for sisters, but in Australia, it is also apparently an even busier one for bio-security officers from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).
Rakhi is an Indian festival that marks the relationship between brothers and sisters through the exchange of traditional gifts and is widely celebrated in Australia with tens of thousands of festival gifts sent through the post each year.
The lead-up to the Rakhi festival, falling on 21 August this year, is one of the busiest periods for DAFF officers because as part of the celebrations many pest-carrying foods and plants are inadvertently sent from abroad.
To check the ill-effects of carrier bio-dangers, DAFF issues advisories containing useful information before festivals such as Lunar New Year, Easter, Christmas and Rakhi.
DAFF authorities say the highest risk items are seeds and items that could be fed to, or injected into, animals. These pests and diseases could devastate the tourism industries as well as the environment.
First Assistant Secretary of DAFF’s Border Compliance Division, Tim Chapman says, “It is more likely people will send gifts into Australia during such festivals and during the Rakhi festival, a lot of Indian sweets are couriered into Australia.”
“We know that a single sweet coming through probably isn’t going to cause a pest or disease outbreak but the larger the quantity that comes through, the greater the potential risk is. So what we are trying to do is minimise the risk as best as we can, without having a completely over-the-top approach to it,” he adds.
Chapman says it is important for people to be aware of Australia’s bio-security conditions when sending or receiving gifts. “Letting your overseas family and friends know about what can’t be couriered to Australia means there is less chance of gifts being delayed or intercepted at the border,” Chapman adds.
Gifts containing animal or plant material that may pose a bio-security risk include Rakhi threads made with seeds or flowers, dried fruit and traditional Indian sweets (mithai) which contain milk, such as barfi, Mysore pak, gulab jamun, rasgulla, pedas or soan-papdi.
Safe items that family and friends can send during this festive period include cotton rakhi threads with plastic, fabric, gold or silver beads and coins, personalised photo items and artificial flowers.
“Raising awareness on Australia’s bio-security requirements will also ensure that those celebrating this significant event will be playing their part in managing risks to our environment and way of life,” he says.
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