17 June 2024
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 2024-2025 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 2024-2025 season.
- Summerfruit farm and packhouse managers wanting to export to China, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam should complete their application form/s online through the Summerfruit Australia export registration system by 5:00 pm AEST, 15 July 2024. Late applications will not be accepted.
Note: All information in the application (for example ABN numbers, contact details, accredited property maps and addresses) must all 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 22 July 2024 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 summerfruit to China, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam must be accredited for that market by 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 the 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 separated by structures such as a building, public road or body of water.
Note: For further information, refer to the Export Process Instruction: Management of horticulture export accredited properties.
- Farms and packhouses must be available for audits to ensure compliance with the relevant workplans and protocols.
- All accredited property applications will now 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 for the 2023-2024 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 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 for further information.
- Farms and packhouses wishing to withdraw from the accreditation process after the closing period 15 July 2024 will need to email Audit and Assurance Branch and provide a reason for withdrawal.
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.
- Treatment facilities not currently approved for the countries, commodities and treatments they would like must submit an Application for registration as a plant export registered establishment and/or associated operations and functions (EX26d) to the Certificate Management Group.
Crop monitoring responsibilities
- Online crop monitor training and assessment for summerfruit must be completed annually through Learnhub by 22 July 2024. The training consists of a core module and a commodity specific module (summerfruit).
- Crop monitors must register to conduct crop monitor training by completing and submitting the Crop Monitor Training Request Form.
- Only crop monitors who have completed the online training and passed the assessment are eligible to conduct crop monitoring for protocol markets.
- The course content will remain accessible through to the end of the season for crop monitors to refer to for information.
- Crop monitors will be audited for compliance at the relevant accredited property audit.
Contact information
If you have any questions regarding this IAN, please email Horticulture Exports.
If you have any questions regarding summerfruit export registration system, please email Summerfruit Australia.
Rossana Carr
Acting Assistant Secretary
Plant Export Operations Branch