05 May 2025
Purpose
This Industry Advice Notice (IAN) is to advise that applications for the accreditation of farms and packhouses, and the registration of treatment facilities are now open to export bananas, capsicum, papaya and sweetcorn to New Zealand.
Summary of changes and key points
- Applications are now open for the accreditation of farms and packhouses intending to export fresh bananas, capsicum, papaya and sweetcorn under the New Zealand Export Plan (NZEP).
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.
Note: Not all treatment pathways for these commodities require farm and packhouse accreditation. Please refer to the NZEP for the accreditation requirements for your commodity to determine if it is required.
- Treatment facilities that are not already a registered establishment approved for methyl bromide fumigation and wish to apply, should contact the Horticulture Exports Program.
Background
- Countries with protocol markets have specific requirements for importing Australian produce.
- The NZEP details when specific commodities require farm, packhouse or treatment facility accreditation or registration.
- The NZEP is available in the ‘Documents’ section of the Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor). To access these documents, you must be a registered Micor plant user.
- All export certification fees and charges applicable to these commodities will be applied as per the department’s charging guidelines.
Accredited property responsibilities – farms and packhouses
- Applicable farms and packhouses must apply for accreditation annually.
- 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 contiguous and not separated by structures such as a building, public road or body of water.
- Farms and packhouses must be available for audits at the frequency outlined in the table of section 12 of the NZEP.
New farms and packhouses must pass an audit prior to accreditation.
Note: We may use a combination of announced and unannounced audits as part of our assurance process.
- 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. If the debt is not paid, the accredited property application will be refused.
- All other requirements in the NZEP must be adhered to.
Crop monitor responsibilities
- Online crop monitor training and assessment must be completed annually through the Core Crop Monitoring module on Learnhub.
- 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.
- Crop monitor training must be completed prior to budburst.
- Crop monitors will be audited for compliance at the relevant accredited property audit.
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 already approved do not need to re-apply.
- Treatment facilities that are currently not approved for the countries, commodities and treatments they would like, must submit an application in the Export Service platform.
- Treatment facilities that are currently approved, but wish to vary any plant operation, or make changes to their documented systems must manage their establishment details in the Export Service platform.
Contact information
If you have any questions regarding this IAN, please email the Horticulture Exports Program.
Jemma Martin
Assistant Secretary
Plant Exports Branch