16 March 2020
Purpose
This Industry Advice Notice (IAN) is to advise the kiwifruit industry that applications for exports of kiwifruit to Thailand are now open.
Summary of changes and key points
- Farms located in Victoria and Queensland are eligible to apply under the protocol agreement.
- Farm and packhouse managers must complete the application form and submit the completed form to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Audit and Assurance Group by 5pm AEDT, 30 March 2020. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- Onshore cold treatment facilities must be approved jointly by Thailand and the department to treat kiwifruit for export to Thailand. If your treatment facility is not approved for exports to Thailand by the department, please contact Horticulture Exports Program.
- Crop monitors must complete the generic crop monitor course online through the Tocal College online eLearning hub by 3 April 2020 to be eligible to conduct crop monitoring for kiwifruit to Thailand.
- Farms and packhouses will be subject to audit by the department.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
Application for plant export accreditation of farms PDF  | 4 | 420 KB |
| Application for plant export accreditation of packhouses PDF | 4 | 392 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
Background
Countries with protocol markets have specific requirements for importing Australian produce.
The protocol for exporting kiwifruit to Thailand mandates that farms and packhouses are accredited with the department prior to the export season.
The protocol requires that kiwifruit must be produced in Australia and sourced from a Thailand approved production area. Currently, only kiwifruit produced in Victoria and Queensland are permitted for export to Thailand under the protocol.
For specific market requirements, refer to the relevant protocol on the Manual of Importing Country Requirements (MICoR) Plants website. Work plans and protocols can be found in the Documents section. To access these documents, you must be a registered MICoR Plants user.
To register for MICoR, go to the registration webpage, complete all fields and then click ‘Submit’. You will be provided with your login details by email.
Accredited property responsibilities
- Farms and packhouses must apply for accreditation annually (unless otherwise advised).
- All new applicants must be available for pre-accreditation audits by the department, to ensure compliance with the protocol and departmental requirements.
- Note: The department will notify all applicants of audit dates and provide an audit briefing. Applicants will be advised of the outcome, and export approval number/s will be provided to successful farms and packhouses.
- Farms may divide their orchard into blocks. Each block must be clearly identified on the application form and on the farm map by its physical address or geographic co-ordinates.
- Note: Further detail on map and block requirements can be found on the application forms.
- Packhouses must provide evidence of adherence to one of the following industry food safety accredited schemes that comply with Thailand’s ‘good practices’ requirements for packhouses
- Requirements for accredited properties, including management guidelines, audit guidelines and performance standards, can be found on the Plant Export Operations Manual.
Contact information
If you have any questions regarding this IAN please email the Horticulture Exports Program.
David Ironside
Assistant Secretary
Plant Export Operations Branch