02 March 2026
Purpose
This Industry Advice Notice is to advise that applications for the accreditation of farms and packhouses, and the registration of treatment facilities are now open to export strawberries to Thailand for the 2026 season.
Summary of changes and key points
- Applications are now open for farms and packhouses located in Tasmania and Western Australia (WA) intending to export strawberries to Thailand for the 2026 season.
- Berries Australia is transitioning to an online registration system. Farm and packhouse managers must contact export@berries.net.au to create an account in the Berries Australia registration system. Once an account is created, applications must be completed via the Berries Australia registration system by 5:00pm (AEDT) Friday 27 March 2026.
- Packhouse managers can also apply for an additional export function to operate under the Packhouse Growers Supplier Model (PGSM) online through the Berries Australia registration system.
Note: Late submissions will not be accepted. - Crop monitors must complete the core crop monitoring course online through Learnhub by 5:00 pm (AEDT) Friday 3 April 2026 to be eligible to conduct crop monitoring.
- Treatment facilities that are not already a registered establishment approved for methyl bromide fumigation and wish to apply, should contact the Horticulture Exports Program.
- Only treatment facilities that have passed an initial audit conducted by the Thailand Department of Agriculture can perform methyl bromide fumigation of strawberries for export to Thailand.
- Strawberries sourced from within a Queensland fruit fly outbreak zone are not permitted to be exported to Thailand.
Background
Countries with protocol markets have specific requirements for importing Australian produce.
The protocol for exporting strawberries to Thailand mandates that farms, packhouses and treatment facilities are accredited or registered with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department) prior to the export season.
The protocol requires that strawberries must be produced in Australia and sourced from a Thailand approved production area. Currently, only strawberries produced and packed in Tasmania and WA are permitted to be exported to Thailand under the protocol.
For specific market requirements, refer to the relevant protocol 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.
- 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.
Note: For further information, refer to the Exports process instruction: Management of horticulture export accredited properties on the Plant Export Operations Manual. - Farms and packhouses must be available for audits by the department, to ensure compliance with the protocol and our requirements.
- All accredited property applications will undergo a debt check. Properties with debt owing to the Commonwealth 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 or in-season (during harvest). Any farm or packhouse that was not accredited during the 2025 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. - Applicants will be advised of the audit outcome, and the accreditation number/s will be provided to farms and packhouses.
- The department can only accredit an entity for export if all protocol requirements are met.
- Requirements for accredited properties, including management guidelines, audit guidelines 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 in the Documents section of Micor for further information.
Packhouse grower supplier model (PGSM)
- The PGSM is a voluntary, alternative assurance model and auditing program for accredited property packhouses and farms.
Application process
- To be eligible, the packhouse must have been accredited in the previous export season (2025-26).
- Applications can be submitted online through the Berries Australia registration system. Farm and packhouse managers must contact export@berries.net.au to create an account in the Berries Australia registration system.
- Once an account is created, applications must be completed via the Berries Australia registration system by 5:00pm (AEDT) Friday 27 March 2026.
- All supporting documentation must be provided with the application.
Crop monitor responsibilities
- Online crop monitor training for strawberries 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. This must be completed each year.
- Crop monitors must complete their assessment by 5:00 pm (AEDT) Friday 3 April 2026.
- Only crop monitors who have completed the online training and passed the assessment are eligible to conduct crop monitoring for protocol markets.
- Crop monitors will be audited for compliance at the relevant accredited property audit.
Treatment facility responsibilities
- Treatment facilities must be registered establishments and approved for the specific country, commodity and treatment combination for protocol markets.
- Treatment facilities that are currently approved for methyl bromide fumigation of strawberries to Thailand do not need to re-apply.
- Methyl bromide fumigation facilities must be jointly approved by Thailand and the department to treat strawberries for export to Thailand. If your treatment facility is not approved for export to Thailand, please contact the Horticulture Exports Program.
Contact information
If you have any questions regarding applying for accreditation, please email Berries Australia.
If you have any questions regarding this IAN, please email Horticulture Exports Program.
Jemma Martin
Assistant Secretary
Plant Exports Branch