Concerns over possibly illegal sales of imported peanuts

By Brandon Long

ABC Rural

Topic: Biosecurity

Wednesday, 24 June 2026, at 7:19 am

Buyers in big cities have found suspicious peanut packets in stores.

In short:

Authorities are looking into claims that imported raw peanuts are avoiding strict quarantine rules and being sold illegally.

Peanut industry leaders say these suspected breaches could expose the sector to diseases.

What's next?

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry says it is taking these reports seriously.

Australian biosecurity authorities are investigating claims that imported raw peanuts are bypassing strict rules and being sold directly to consumers.

These allegations have sparked fears that exotic plant diseases could spread in the country's peanut-growing areas.

Under Australian law, imported raw peanuts must come with a phytosanitary certificate or be processed at an approved facility before sale.

Bypassing these requirements is illegal, and industry figures say it risks introducing diseases not currently in Australia.

The alarm was raised by Sonie Crumpton, general manager of Crumpton Interstate, Australia's largest peanut processor.

Mr. Crumpton said customers in Sydney and Melbourne first told his staff about suspicious peanut packets in April.

Sonie Crumpton has raised this issue with his local MPs.

Testing was done on these products, and the results showed the peanuts could germinate, suggesting they had not been processed.

We've been in this business for four and five generations, and I've never seen this before.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry confirmed they are looking into this matter.

Mr. Crumpton believes these nuts are entering the country from China and Brazil, mainly through Melbourne, and are being sold online.

Kingaroy crop consultant Graeme Wright said the primary concern is the introduction of peanut smut disease.

If we got this disease, it would be the end of the industry.

Graeme Wright bought a bag of Chinese raw peanuts from an Australian online seller, and they look suspicious.

Peanut smut is a soil-borne disease that has significantly impacted the peanut industry in South America.

Mr. Wright said a bag of Chinese raw peanuts he bought looks suspect.

A home gardener planting these imported peanuts could accidentally introduce the disease into the environment.

The federal member for Maranoa, David Littleproud, raised this issue with Agriculture Minister Julie Collins over a month ago.

He is calling on the minister to quarantine suspected non-compliant stock and make importers recall affected products.

Kingaroy is known as the peanut capital of Australia.

A DAFF spokesperson said they are reviewing these allegations.

We are taking this report seriously and will take strong action where non-compliance is found.

Importing raw peanuts without a biosecurity permit can result in fines of up to $1.65 million and 10 years in jail.

Authorities can also pursue fines as a civil penalty without a conviction.

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Wednesday, 24 June 2026, at 7:19 am

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