02 August 2024
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 for the 2024–25 season.
Summary of changes and 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 2024–25 season.
- Thailand labelling and transfer records must list farm block accredited property numbers (e.g. TGXXXX-TXX) for all coming exports this season and onwards. This requirement is consistent with all other protocol markets. Farm Accredited Property number being listed alone (e.g. TGXXXX) has been removed as an option for Thailand exports.
- Japan has removed varietal restrictions of table grape exports. All Vitis vinifera varieties (other than hybrids and crosses outside of Vitis vinifera) are now permitted export to this market.
- 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 5:00pm AEST, Monday 02 September 2024. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- 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.
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 separated by structures such as a building, public road or body of water.
- 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 a payment 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 in 2024-2025.
- Accreditation and/or continuation of accreditation is reliant upon audit outcomes.
- 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 date 02 September 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.
- 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.
Note: As Thailand Department of Agriculture (DOA) will not be accepting any new applications for consideration, we will be unable to accept any onshore cold treatment applications for Thailand until further notice. Thailand DOA are still yet to undertake site audits of facilities already awaiting approval.
Crop monitoring responsibilities
- Online crop monitor training and assessment for table grapes must be completed through Learnhub by 02 September 2024. The training consists of a core module and a commodity specific module (table grapes).
- 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 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