19 June 2023
Purpose
This Industry Advice Notice (IAN) is to advise that applications are now open for the accreditation of farms and packhouses, and the registration of treatment facilities, to export summerfruit to protocol markets for the 2023–24 season.
Summary of changes and key points
- Applications are now open for farms and packhouses intending to export summerfruit to China, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam for the 2023–24 season.
- Summerfruit farm and packhouse managers wanting to export to China, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam should complete their application form/s through the Summerfruit Australia export registration system by 5pm AEST, Monday 17 July 2023. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Note: 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 us. New applications will be audited pre-season prior to confirming accreditation.
- Crop monitors must complete the training and assessment for summerfruit by Friday 28 July 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.
Background
Countries with protocol markets have specific requirements for importing Australian produce.
Farms, packhouses and treatment facilities intending to export summerfruit to China, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam must be accredited or registered with us prior to export.
Specific market requirements
Export pathways for summerfruit protocol markets are:
- China – accreditation of all farms and packhouses; area freedom, registration of cold treatment, fumigation and combination treatment (fumigation plus onshore cold treatment) facilities.
- Taiwan – accreditation of packhouses; area freedom and registration of cold treatment facilities.
- Thailand – accreditation of all farms and packhouses; area freedom and registration of cold treatment facilities.
- Vietnam – (peaches & nectarines) accreditation of all farms and packhouses; registration of cold treatment and irradiation treatment facilities.
For specific market requirements (including area freedom) refer to 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.
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.
- Accreditation and/or continuation of accreditation is reliant upon audit outcomes.
Treatment facility responsibilities
- Treatment facilities must be a registered establishment and approved for the specific country, commodity and treatment combination for protocol markets.
- To vary your approval, submit an 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) and be audited and approved by us and the importing country, where required (for onshore cold treatment approval is required from Taiwan and Thailand).
- 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.
Crop monitoring 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 summerfruit 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 Friday 28 July 2023.
- Crop monitors must be audited for compliance at the relevant accredited property audit.
Contact information
If you have any questions regarding the summerfruit export registration system, please email Summerfruit Australia.
If you have any questions regarding this IAN please email Horticulture Exports Program.
Rossana Carr
A/g Assistant Secretary
Plant Export Operations Branch