8 August 2022
Purpose
This Industry Advice Notice (IAN) is to advise industry that applications are now open for the accreditation of farms and packhouses, and the registration of treatment facilities, to export table grapes to protocol markets including New Zealand for the 2022–23 season.
Summary/Key points
Farm and packhouses
- Applications are now open for the accreditation of farms and packhouses to export table grapes to China, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Korea and Vietnam for the 2022–23 season.
- Table grape farm and packhouse managers wanting to export to protocol markets can complete their application forms online through the table grape export registration system. Applications must be completed by 5pm AEST, Friday 2nd September 2022. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- All information in the application (for example, ABN numbers, contact details, accredited property maps and addresses) must be complete and correct or the application may not be accepted.
- Farms and packhouses will be subject to audits by the department.
- Crop monitor training and assessment for table grapes is now available through the Tocal College online eLearning hub.
Treatment facilities
- Applications are now open for the registration of treatment facilities for
- combination treatment (fumigation plus cold treatment) of table grapes for export to China
- onshore cold treatment of table grapes to New Zealand, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, Japan and Vietnam
- irradiation or SO2/CO2 treatments of table grapes to New Zealand.
- Treatment facilities previously registered for these export pathways do not need to reapply.
- Treatment facilities, that are not already a registered establishment must submit a completed Application to register an establishment and/or approve a proposed arrangement (EX26a) and the Application for registration as a plant export registered establishment and/or associated operations and functions (EX26d) and forward it to the Certificate Management Group by 5pm AEST, Friday 2nd September 2022.
Specific market requirements
Export pathways for table grapes to protocol markets are:
- China – accreditation of all farms and packhouses; cold treatment; and combination treatment (fumigation plus cold treatment).
- New Zealand – accreditation of farms and packhouses*.
- Taiwan – accreditation of packhouses*; and cold treatment.
- Japan – cold treatment.
- Korea – accreditation of all farms and packhouses*; area freedom; and cold treatment.
- Thailand – accreditation of all farms and packhouses*; and cold treatment.
- Vietnam – cold treatment.
Further details on specific market requirements (including area freedom) are available in the relevant work plans and protocols in the ‘Documents’ section of the Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor). To access these documents, you must be a registered Micor Plant 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.
* Packhouse accreditation is not required if the product is packed in-field for New Zealand, Korea, Taiwan or Thailand protocol markets.
Background
Countries with protocol markets have specific requirements for importing Australian produce. Some farms, packhouses and treatment facilities intending to export table grapes to markets such as China, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam may be required to be accredited/approved by us, prior to export.
Accredited property responsibilities – farms and packhouses
- Farms and packhouses must apply for accreditation annually (unless otherwise advised).
- 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.
- Applicants must be available for audits, to ensure compliance with the relevant work plans and protocols.
- We can only accredit an entity for export if all protocol requirements are met.
- Requirements for accredited properties including management guidelines, audit guidelines and performance standards, can be found on the Plant Export Operations Manual.
- Existing accredited properties will be subject to an audit pre-or mid-season.
- Audits may occur pre-season and/or during the season (during harvest). Any farm or packhouse that was not accredited for the 2021–22 season, had block/s suspended, or where amendments have been made to the details of the accredited property will be audited pre-season.
Treatment facility responsibilities
- Treatment facilities must be a registered establishment and approved for the specific country, commodity and treatment combination for protocol markets.
- Treatment facilities that are currently approved for treatment functions under their registered establishment do not need to re-apply unless they would like to vary their approval by adding or removing a treatment function (country, commodity, treatment combination). To vary their approval, they must submit the Application to vary an establishment registration and/or approved arrangement (EX26b) and Application for registration as a plant export registered establishment and/or associated operations and functions (EX26d).
- Treatment facilities that are currently not approved must submit the Application to register an establishment and/or approve a proposed arrangement (EX26a) and Application for registration as a plant export registered establishment and/or associated operations and functions (EX26d) and be audited and approved by us and the importing country, where required.
Note: For onshore cold treatment, approval is required from Taiwan, Thailand and Japan.
Crop monitor training
Only crop monitors who have completed the annual online training and passed the assessment are eligible to conduct crop monitoring for protocol markets.
- The online crop monitor training is now open via the Tocal College online eLearning hub.
- The assessment quiz closes on Friday 2nd September 2022.
Contact information
If you have any questions regarding the table grapes export registration system, please email Jscott@atga.net.au.
If you have any questions regarding this IAN please email Horticulture Exports Program.
Rossana Carr
Assistant Secretary a/g
Plant Export Operations Branch