12 June 2024
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 the registration of treatment facilities to export cherries to protocol markets for the 2024-2025 season.
Summary of changes and key points
- Applications are now open for farms and packhouses intending to export cherries to China, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and Korea for the 2024-2025 season.
- Applications must be received by 5:00pm (AEST) Friday 12 July 2024. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- Farm and packhouse managers can complete their application forms online through the following online systems:
- Applications to export cherries from Tasmania
- Applications to export cherries from mainland Australia
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.
- Crop monitors must complete the relevant training and assessment modules by Friday 19 July 2024 to be eligible to conduct crop monitoring.
- Treatment facilities not already a registered establishment and want to apply for the below registered functions must apply by 5:00pm (AEST) Friday 12 July 2024:
- methyl bromide fumigation of cherries for export to China and/or Korea, or
- onshore cold treatment of cherries for export to China, Taiwan and/or Thailand,
Note: Further details on how to register in the Treatment facility responsibilities section of this IAN.
- 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 exporting cherries to China, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and Korea 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 and packhouses
- Farms and packhouses 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 Guideline: Management of horticulture export accredited properties.
- Farms and packhouses must be available for audits to ensure compliance with relevant workplans and protocols 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 2023-24 season will be audited pre-season for 2024-25.
- 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 cherries must be completed annually through Learnhub. The training consists of a core module and a cherry pests 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 that are currently approved for methyl bromide fumigation of cherries for export to China and/or Korea, or onshore cold treatment of cherries for export to China, Taiwan and/or Thailand under their registered establishment do not need to re-apply.
Note: A renewal process occurs annually for Thailand onshore cold treatment facilities. We will contact registered facilities each year to facilitate renewal.
- Treatment facilities that are intending to vary a registered establishment including structural changes are required to notify the Horticulture Export Program and complete the form to ‘make a structural change’ to their establishment through the Digital Export Service.
- Treatment facilities that are currently not approved for the countries, commodities and treatments they would like, must complete and submit the form, ‘Add a commodity, product, operation or function’ for their establishment through the Digital Export Service and be audited by us and the importing country where required.
Contact information
Please direct any queries regarding the online application systems to the relevant peak industry body.
Tasmanian applications:
Kate Dickinson
Fruit Growers Tasmania Inc. (FGT)
Phone: 03 6169 2059
Email: kate@fruitgrowerstas.org.au
Mainland applications:
Michael Tarbath
Cherry Growers Australia Inc.
Phone: 03 6231 1229 or 0419 598 578
Email: office@cherrygrowers.org.au
If you have any questions regarding this IAN, please email the Horticulture Exports Program.
Gaylene Podhajski
Acting Assistant Secretary
Plant Export Operations Branch