12 June 2024
Purpose
This Industry Advice Notice (IAN) is to advise the Tasmanian apple and pear industry that applications are now open for the accreditation of farms and packhouses and cold stores, and the registration of treatment facilities to export apples and pears to protocol markets for the 2024-2025 season.
Summary of changes and key points
- Applications are now open for farms, packhouses and cold stores to export:
- apples to China, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, and
- pears to Thailand.
- Farm and packhouse managers wanting to export to these markets in the 2024-25 season must apply by completing the application form online through the Fruit Growers Tasmania (FGT) export registration page.
- Applications must be received by 5:00pm (AEST) Friday 12 July 2024. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Note: All information in the application including ABN, contact details, accredited property maps and addresses must be complete and correct, or the application may not be accepted.
- Treatment facilities not already registered but want to apply for the registered function of methyl bromide fumigation of apples for export to Japan must contact the Horticulture Export Program immediately.
Note: The treatment facility must be located in Tasmania.
- Crop monitors must complete the relevant training and assessment modules by Friday 19 July 2024 to be eligible to conduct crop monitoring.
Background
Countries with protocol markets have specific requirements for importing Australian produce.
The protocols for exporting apples and pears to China, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand mandate that farms, packhouses and treatment facilities are accredited or registered with us prior to export.
For specific market requirements, refer to the relevant protocols and workplans in the ‘Documents’ section of the Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor). To access these documents, you must register as a Micor Plants user.
Accredited property responsibilities – farms, packhouses and cold stores
- Farms, packhouses and cold stores must apply for accreditation annually (unless otherwise advised).
- Growers may divide their farm 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 Exports Process Instruction: Management of horticulture export accredited properties.
- Farms, packhouses and cold stores must be available for audits to ensure compliance with the relevant protocols, workplans and the Plant Export Operations Manual. Some entities may be audited by the importing country.
- All accredited property applications will undergo a debt check. Properties with debt owing to the department will be notified and given 10 business days to pay the relevant debt or enter into an arrangement to pay the debt. If the debt is not paid, the accredited property application will be refused.
- Audits will occur either pre-season and/or in-season (during harvest). Any farm or packhouse that was not accredited during the 2023-2024 season will be audited pre-season for 2024-2025.
- Accreditation and/or continuation of accreditation will be reliant on audit outcomes.
Note: We will use a combination of announced and unannounced audits as part of our assurance process.
- Applicants will be advised of the audit outcome, and accreditation number/s will be provided to farms and packhouses by us.
- We can only accredit an entity for export if all protocol requirements are met.
- Requirements for accredited properties, including management instructions, audit instructions and performance standards can be found on the Plant Export Operations Manual.
- Packhouses exporting fruit to Thailand must comply with Thailand’s hygiene and quality requirements for packhouses. See the Thailand Food and Drug Administration requirements for packhouses in the Documents section of Micor for further information.
- Farms and packhouses wishing to withdraw from the accreditation process after the closing date (12 July 2024) will need to email Protocol and Response and provide a reason for withdrawal.
Crop monitor responsibilities
- Online crop monitor training for apples and pears must be completed annually through our online learning portal – Learnhub. The training consists of a core module and an apple and pear pest’s module.
- Crop monitors must register to conduct crop monitor training by completing and submitting the Crop Monitor Training Request Form, including those who have completed training in previous years.
- Crop monitors must complete the training and pass the assessments for both modules by Friday 19 July 2024.
- Only crop monitors who have completed the online training and passed the assessment are eligible to conduct crop monitoring for protocol markets.
- Crop monitors will be audited for compliance at the relevant accredited property audit.
Treatment facility responsibilities
- Treatment facilities must be registered establishments and approved for the specific country, commodity and treatment combination for protocol markets.
- Treatment facilities not currently approved for methyl bromide fumigation of apples for export to Japan who wish to add this treatment to their registered establishment must contact the Horticulture Export Program immediately.
Contact information
Please direct any queries regarding the online application system to the peak industry body.
Kate Dickinson
Fruit Growers Tasmania Inc. (FGT)
Email: kate@fruitgrowerstas.org.au
Phone: 03 6169 2059
If you have any questions regarding this IAN, please email the Horticulture Exports Program.
Gaylene Podhajski
Acting Assistant Secretary
Plant Export Operations Branch