20 June 2024
Purpose
This Industry Advice Notice (IAN) is to advise stakeholders that applications are now open for the accreditation of farms and packhouses to export persimmons to Thailand for the 2025 season.
Summary of changes and key points
- Only farms located in Queensland are eligible to apply for accreditation under the protocol agreement.
- Farm and packhouse managers must submit a completed Application for plant export accreditation of farms or Application for plant export accreditation of packhouses to the Audit and Assurance Branch by 5pm AEST 2 September 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.
- Farms and packhouses will be subject to audits by us.
- Crop monitors must complete the on-line training and assessment for persimmons by 27 September 2024 to be eligible to conduct crop monitoring.
Background
Countries with protocol markets have specific requirements for importing Australian produce.
The protocol for exporting persimmons to Thailand mandates that farms and packhouses are accredited with us prior to the export season.
The protocol requires that persimmons must be produced in Australia and sourced from a Thailand approved production area. Currently, only persimmons produced in Queensland are permitted to export to Thailand under the protocol.
For specific market requirements, refer to the relevant protocol and/or workplan 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.
Note: For further information, refer to the Guideline: Management of horticulture export accredited properties on the Plant Export Operations Manual.
- Debt checks will now occur on all accredited property applications. 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 may occur pre-season and/or during the season (during harvest). Any farm or packhouse that was not accredited for the 2024 season will be audited pre-season.
- Packhouses must provide evidence of adherence to one of the following industry food safety accredited schemes that comply with Thailand’s ‘good practices’ requirements for packhouses:
- The Plant Export Operations Manual contains additional information to assist in preparing for audit including requirements for accredited properties, management and audit guidelines and performance standards.
Crop monitor responsibilities
- Online crop monitor training for persimmons must be completed annually through Learnhub. The training consists of the core crop monitoring module.
- Crop monitors must register to conduct crop monitor training by completing and submitting the Crop Monitor Training Request Form.
- Crop monitors must complete the assessment by Friday 27 September 2024.
- 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 Program.
Rossana Carr
A/g Assistant Secretary
Plant Export Operations Branch