It says that the online system replaces the paper-based registration and accreditation process and will allow for export registration information to be gathered, with high quality maps. This, in turn allows for a simpler audit process by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DoAWR).

APAL says that before growers can complete the online registration form they must contact Olivia Tait so that she can issue a welcome e-mail and password to access the system.

The registration process is mandatory and all grower/packhouse registrations must complete their registrations by Friday 18 November 2016.

Growers will only just need to register their orchard blocks.

Those who are a grower and a packhouse/cold store/treatment facility may now complete one registration for all entities using the one application.

Those who are a packhouse/cold store/treatment facility only are still required to complete the registration process, regardless of whether or not they have a Registered Establishment Number issued by DoAWR. Instead of mapping orchard blocks, the packhouse facility should be mapped.

Once the registration process is complete, growers will be issued with orchard block numbers, e.g. AP100-A01.

Those who are registering a packhouse/ cold store /treatment facility, a separate number will be issued e.g. AP100-PCT01. These numbers will then be provided to the importing country by DoAWR and all boxed and labelled fruit going into that market will be reconciled with this master list and will therefore demonstrate the fruit was sourced and or packed from a registered and approved facility.

Training

Training sessions for the new system have been run in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria, and Lenswood, South Australia. Victorian and South Australian growers who missed these sessions or growers based in New South Wales, Western Australia or Queensland interested in registering their orchard for export to Thailand can contact Olivia Tait to organise a training session.

All growers in Tasmania will have completed their registration manually this year for the 2017 export season, as the software changes were not completed in time to meet the Tasmanian registration deadlines. The system will be rolled out to all next year for the 2018 season.