3 June 2025
Purpose
This Industry Advice Notice (IAN) is to advise that applications for the accreditation of farms and packhouses, and registration of treatment facilities to export summerfruit to protocol markets for the 2025-26 season are now open.
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 2025-26 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, 1 July 2025. Late applications will not be accepted.
Note: All information in the application (for example ABN numbers, contact details, accredited property maps and addresses) must be complete and correct, or the application may not be accepted. - Accredited property packhouses for summerfruit to China, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam can now apply for an additional export function to operate under the Packhouse Grower Supplier Model (PGSM). Applications for the PGSM can be submitted online through the Summerfruit Australia export registration system by 5:00 pm AEST, 1 July 2025.
- Farms and packhouses will be subject to audits by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. New applications will be audited pre-season prior to confirming accreditation.
- Crop monitors must complete the training and assessment for summerfruit by 11:59 pm AEST, 1 July 2025 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
Accreditation requirements for 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 and plums) 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 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 in the Plant Export Operations Manual. - 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. 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 2024-25 season will be audited pre-season.
Note: Farms may not be directly audited if they are being managed under the PGSM, with compliance assessed through the respective packhouse audit. - Accreditation and/or continuation of accreditation is reliant on audit outcomes.
Note: We may 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 in 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 of 1 July 2025 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 not approved for the countries, commodities and treatments they would like, must submit an application in the digital 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 digital Export Service platform.
Note: Treatment facilities will be audited and approved by us and the importing country where required.
Crop monitoring responsibilities
- Online crop monitor training and assessment for summerfruit must be completed through Learnhub by 11:59 AEST, 1 July 2025. The training consists of a core module and a commodity specific module (summerfruit). Crop monitor training is only valid for one year, so must be completed annually.
- 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.
Packhouse grower supplier model (PGSM)
The Packhouse grower supplier model (PGSM) is a voluntary, alternative assurance model and auditing program for accredited property packhouses and farms.
Application process
- Accredited property packhouses for protocol markets can apply for an additional export function to operate under the packhouse grower supplier model. To be eligible for the model, the packhouse must have been accredited in the previous export season (2024-25).
- Applications for the packhouse grower supplier model can be submitted online through the Summerfruit Australia export registration system by 5:00 pm AEST, 1 July 2025.
Supporting material
- All supporting documentation must be provided with the application.
- Potential applicants should familiarise themselves with the policy and instructional material available in the Plant Exports Operations Manual.
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.
Jemma Martin
Assistant Secretary
Plant Exports Branch