01 August 2023
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 2023–24 season.
Summary/Key points
- 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 2023–24 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 01 September 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 table grapes by 5pm AEST, Friday 01 September 2023 to be eligible to conduct crop monitoring.
Background
Countries with protocol markets have specific requirements for importing Australian produce.
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.
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 (farm or packhouse registration not required)
- 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 (farm or packhouse registration not required)
*Packhouse registration is not required for these markets if farms are field packing.
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.
- Farms and packhouses intending to take advantage of Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognition are requested to upload relevant documentation into the online application system in advance of audit.
- 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 (01 September 2023) will need to email Audit Services and provide a reason for withdrawal.
- 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.
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.
- We encourage you to register your establishment through the online service and begin submitting EX26 applications via the Export Service Portal as soon as possible to prepare for the transition.
- The Export Service Portal can be accessed at https://exports.agriculture.gov.au/. If you are having difficulty registering the establishment or submitting applications via the Export Service Portal, please contact the team at Export Services - Service Desk ExportService@aff.gov.au.
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.
- Crop monitors must complete the table grape crop monitoring course online through Learnhub by 5pm AEST, Friday 01 September 2023 to be eligible to conduct crop monitoring for table grapes.
- 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.
- Crop monitors must be audited for compliance at the relevant accredited property audit.
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
A/g Assistant Secretary
Plant Export Operations Branch