28 June 2023
Purpose
This Industry Advice Notice (IAN) is to advise industry of changes for accessing crop monitor training modules for protocol markets, as well as updates to training content.
Summary of changes and key points
- Online crop monitor training which was previously hosted by Tocal College, is now being hosted by us through our Learnhub platform.
- IANs already issued in 2023 relating to crop monitor training, referred to this happening through Tocal College with a transition to Learnhub in June.
- If you are a third-party authorised officer (AO), you already have access to Learnhub. To complete the crop monitor training, email your first and last name, the email address you currently use to access Learnhub, AO number and commodity you wish to conduct training for to Horticulture Exports Training.
- If you do not already have access to Learnhub, email your first and last name, preferred email address and commodity you wish to conduct training for to Horticulture Exports Training.
- There are 7 modules available as follows:
- Core Crop Monitoring module (replacing the generic crop monitor module)
- Mangoes - Pests and diseases module
- Lychees - Pests and diseases module
- Cherries - Pests and diseases module
- Summer fruit - Pests and diseases module
- Apples and Pears - Pests and diseases module
- Table Grapes - Pests and diseases module
- All crop monitors will be required to complete the Core Crop Monitoring module as well as commodity specific module/s, if available.
- The Core Crop Monitoring module including the assessment, will be open year-round.
- The other 6 commodity specific modules will have the training content open year-round; however, the assessments will close in line with the dates in the commodity specific IANs already released.
Note: Please see Crop monitor responsibilities for more information.
Background
Crop monitors must complete online training and pass an assessment to be eligible to conduct crop monitoring for protocol markets.
Crop monitors who fail to complete the online training and assessment, will not be approved to conduct crop monitoring.
A certificate of completion will be available to crop monitors who pass the assessment.
Crop monitor responsibilities
Crop monitors intending to monitor crops for the following commodities, who have not completed the training and assessment through Tocal, must now register for access in Learnhub.
Training and assessment must be complete in line with dates provided in the previously released IANs:
- bananas, capsicum, papaya and sweetcorn to New Zealand (IAN 2023-17)
- mangoes and lychees to protocol markets (IAN 2023-23)
- cherries to protocol markets (IAN 2023-26)
- Tasmanian apples and pears to protocol markets (IAN 2023-27)
- summerfruit to protocol markets (IAN 2023-31)
- persimmons to Thailand (IAN 2023-33).
Crop monitors who have already completed the online training and passed the assessment through Tocal College for their commodity this year, do not need to complete the training again.
The Tocal College certificate of completion will remain valid until next season. However, crop monitors wishing to access the new course content, will need to register for access to Learnhub.
Contact information
If you have any questions regarding this IAN please email Horticulture Exports.
Rossana Carr
Acting Assistant Secretary
Plant Export Operations Branch