07 June 2023
Purpose
This Industry Advice Notice (IAN) is to advise the cherry industry that applications are now open for the accreditation of farms and packhouses, and registration of treatment facilities to export cherries to protocol markets for the 2023-24 season.
Summary of changes and key points
- Applications are now open for the accreditation of farms and/or packhouses to export cherries to China, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and Korea for the 2023-24 season.
- Any property wishing to export to these markets in the 2023-24 season must apply.
- Applications must be received by 5pm AEST, Friday 21 July 2023. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- Farms and packhouses should complete the relevant application form/s through the following online systems:
- Note: All information in the application including ABN, contact details, maps and property addresses must be complete and correct or the application may not be accepted.
- Farms and packhouses will be audited by us.
- Crop monitors must complete the training and assessment for cherries by Friday 4 August 2023 to be eligible to conduct crop monitoring.
Note: Crop monitor training will be transitioning into a new system in June. This will impact on which system you access the training modules.
- Treatment facilities not already a registered establishment and want to apply for the below registered functions must complete an Application for registration as a plant export registered establishment and/or associated operations and functions (EX26d) and forward to the Certificate Management Group by 5pm AEST, Friday 21 July 2023:
- methyl bromide fumigation of cherries for export to China and Korea, or
- onshore cold treatment of cherries for export to China, Taiwan and Thailand.
- Treatment facilities previously registered for this export pathway do not need to reapply.
Background
Countries with protocol markets have specific requirements for importing Australian produce.
The protocols for cherries to China, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and Korea mandate that farms, packhouses and treatment facilities must be accredited or registered with us, prior to export.
For specific market requirements, refer to the relevant work plans and protocols on the Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor) Plants website. 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
- 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. A block must be a contiguous unit and not be separated by structures such as a building, public road or body of water.
Note: For further information, refer to the Guideline: Management of horticulture export accredited properties.
- Farms and packhouses must be available for audits to ensure compliance with the relevant workplans and protocols.
- Audits will occur either pre-season and/or in-season (during harvest). Any farm or packhouse that was not accredited for the 2022-23 season will be audited pre-season.
- Accreditation and/or continuation of accreditation is reliant upon audit outcomes.
Note: We will use a combination of announced and unannounced audits as part of our assurance process.
- We can only issue accreditation 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.
- Packhouses exporting fruit to Thailand must comply with Thailand’s ‘good practices’ requirements for packhouses. See the Thailand Food and Drug Administration requirements for packhouses for further information.
- Farms and packhouses wishing to withdraw from the accreditation process after the closing period (15 July 2023) will need to email Audit Services and provide a reason for withdrawal.
Crop monitor responsibilities
- Only crop monitors who have completed the online training and passed the assessment are eligible to conduct crop monitoring for protocol markets.
- Online crop monitor training for cherries is now open.
- We are currently working on releasing new crop monitoring modules to better support crop monitors.
- If you are completing the training and assessment prior to Sunday 25 June 2023, please complete the training via the existing Tocal College online eLearning hub.
- If you are commencing training and assessment on or after Monday 26 June 2023, you will need to complete this in Learnhub. Refer to IAN 2023-34 Horticulture – Changes to access crop monitor training for protocol markets for more information
- Crop monitors must complete the assessment by Sunday 4 August 2023.
- Crop monitors must be audited for compliance at the relevant accredited property audit.
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 your approval, 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 not currently approved for the countries, commodities and treatments they would like 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.
Contact information
Please direct any queries regarding the online application systems to the peak industry body.
- Tasmanian applications:
Kate Dickinson – Fruit Growers Tasmania - Mainland applications:
Patrick Ulloa – Cherry Growers Australia Inc.
If you have any questions regarding this IAN, please email the Horticulture Exports Program.
Rossana Carr
Acting Assistant Secretary
Plant Export Operations Branch