California Citrus Preclearance Program

Transcription

1 Pre Clearance Program Information Packet Thank you for your participation in the for Australia now referred to as Off shore Preclearance Inspection (OPI) program. This is the information you will need to schedule inspections for the preclearance program. The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) and the Australian Horticultural Exporter Association (AHEA) work with USDA/APHIS and the Australia Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) on the overall planning and policies involved with this program. To participate in this program, packers must register with the California Citrus Quality Council and be certified under the Work Plan by USDA/APHIS. No OPI inspections will be scheduled for any participant not registered and does not have the required USDA/APHIS certification. In addition, importers participating in this program must be registered with the AHEA. Inspections cannot be scheduled for importers who are not registered. Participants must attend a USDA Workshop on the program to be certified. Below is the schedule of the remaining workshops. Two people from each company must attend a workshop. It is suggested that someone from management and anyone operationally involved with the preclearance program should attend. The USDA and program coordinator workshop presentations as well a copy of the Australia Pre clearance Work Plan and protocols for ACP and SOS shipments are available on the CCQC website, You will also find copies of the RFI and NOI forms needed for this program. If you have any questions or encounter any difficulties with the certification, please contact the program coordinator, Dave Riggs, immediately by at daveriggs@quailrun.net or phone at or James Cranney, CCQC, at Dave Riggs, Program Coordinator Kern County Ag Commissioner's Office 9:30 a.m., Thursday 1001 South Mount Vernon Ave October 27, 2016 Bakersfield, California Tulare County Agricultural Building 9:30 a.m., Wednesday 4437 S. Laspina October 28, 2016 Tulare, California David R. Riggs l l 110 Chase Lane, Aptos, CA l

2 Request for Inspections and Scheduling The following is the procedure to request an inspection, schedule the time and coordinate all of the agencies involved. For the season, Australia has significantly reduced the number of inspectors available for Off shore Preclearance Inspections (OPI). As a result our scheduling will be tight for the entire season. It will be very difficult to schedule inspections for RFIs that are received late. 1. Request for Inspection (RFI) must be ed to the program coordinator no later than 12:00 noon the day prior to the requested inspection. You may request an inspection as soon as you know when your lot will be ready, but no later than noon on the day before the inspection is requested. Provide as much lead time as possible to ensure your loads are inspected by your shipping deadline. RFIs can be submitted up to five days prior to the requested inspection. However, please keep in mind that if you submit an RFI early, you are also responsible for submitting any changes to that RFI. Please provide the anticipated shipping or pack out date and time to assist CCQC Pre Clearance scheduling. 2. Inspection Scheduling Protocol. Inspections are generally scheduled on a first come basis. Given the limited number of inspection appointments available, multiple OPI inspections, for a single shipper on a single day, will be considered on a case by case basis and subject to availability only. Travel time and geography will also be taken into consideration. 3. Please contact the County directly to schedule the County phytosanitary inspection. The County inspection must be completed and passed before the OPI inspection can begin. Please give the County ample lead time to schedule the required inspections. 4. Use the Request for Inspection (RFI) form sent with this packet. Please save the RFI form on your computer. Complete the form and it to citrusexports@sbcglobal.net and save the completed form under a different name. If you must send your request via fax, it must be sent to both of the following numbers and Instructions for completing the RFI are attached. You will assign an RFI number for each inspection which will be used for tracking the load throughout the inspection cycle. The RFI number format is CO MODAYR Company, Month, Day, and Year, for example DR The program coordinator will the schedule of inspections to OPI officer and County Inspectors and notify participants of the scheduled inspections every day by 4:00 p.m. Packers will receive a confirmation that the RFI has been received on the day it is submitted. If you do not receive either a CONFIRMATION of receipt of the RFI, on the same day that you submitted your RFI, please contact the Program Coordinator, by 4 p.m., that same day. 7. The program coordinator is the liaison between the participants, OPI inspectors, USDA/APHIS and the County to resolve any difficulty or answer any questions that may arise related to the scheduling of inspections. Please do not contact OPI inspectors directly regarding any scheduling questions or concerns. 8. Avoid congested inspection days. It is anticipated that Wednesdays and Thursdays will be very tight for inspections. Packers are urged to schedule inspections Friday Tuesday whenever possible. David R. Riggs l l 110 Chase Lane, Aptos, CA l

3 SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Duel Cropfume Protocol: The requirement for two Cropfume treatments prior to packing navels and mandarins that was mandated by DAWR in January 2016 will be in effect at the start of the season. This treatment is required for precleared and non precleared shipments. Compliance with the 8 Point Plan to screen for bean thrips (BT) is also required for both precleared and non precleared navel orange shipments to Australia. The 8 Point Plan requires that grower blocks are determined at the beginning of the season and that maps showing the locations of grower blocks are available to USDA upon request. In addition, 150 pieces of fruit must be cut in the field and examined for BT prior to harvest for Australia. The purpose of the 8 Point Plan is to identify and exclude groves that have bean thrips from shipment to Australia. Three BT finds in OPI inspections or 1 BT find on arrival in Australia will result in suspension of the packing house pending an investigation by USDA/APHIS. Strict compliance with the requirements of the 8 Point Plan will reduce the risk of delays that result during the investigation and reinstatement process. NOIs, lot numbers and pallet tags The Work Plan allows packers to use either pallet tags or grower lot numbers to identify the inspection lot on the NOI presented at the time of inspection. Please review the identification system you plan to use with USDA and the OPI inspectors at the start of the season. Make sure you use the same system consistently through the season and make sure the phytosanitary certificate product identification is consistent with the NOI. Loads must be identified with either lot numbers marked on all boxes or unique pallet tags for each pallet. Lot numbers or Pallet Tag numbers are entered on the NOI (copy attached). OPI inspectors will check the lot numbers or pallet tag numbers against the NOI before selecting a sample for inspection. If the load identification is not accurate, complete and consistent with the Work Plan, they cannot proceed to conduct the OPI inspection. The load identification is critical to the trace back requirements of the Work Plan, so packers must demonstrate that the load identification allows a complete trace back in the event of any problem with the load in Australia. Paperwork Australia is very precise in terms of paperwork requirements and is even more demanding for pre cleared product. If the documents accompanying the load are inaccurate, incomplete or confusing, there is a good chance that your load will be delayed or re inspected. It is important that the NOI and lot numbers or pallet tags are accurate and consistent with the Work Plan. To ensure loads are properly identified, packers should: Make sure accurate paperwork is a priority throughout organization. Train staff involved with phytos and NOIs on program requirements. Make sure the NOI is accurate and complete signed and stamped by DAFF. For each phyto, make a copy of the clean NOI and check off the pallets that are going on that specific phyto. Each NOI should have a clear check mark next to the pallet tag or grower lot number included and each should be marked in the same way. There should be no extraneous notes or markings on the NOI that goes with the phyto. Double check to make sure the phyto is accurate and complete. Continued on next page David R. Riggs l l 110 Chase Lane, Aptos, CA l

4 Suggestions and recommendations continued A phyto may include fruit from more than one NOI. For each NOI listed on the phyto, attach a copy of the NOI with the pallets that are going with that phyto checked off. Container Numbers & Seal Numbers: One area of potential delays and confusion concerning paperwork for Australia shipments is the identification of container and seal numbers on the accompanying paperwork. The Australia Work Plan states the container and seal numbers will be included in distinguishing marks section of phytosanitary certificate if known at the time the phytosanitary certificate is prepared. If not known at the time the phyto is prepared container and seal number(s) will be included on relevant commercial documentation such as the bill of lading. To link the phyto with the commercial documents the phyto number must also be on the bill of lading. Read the Work Plan carefully. The Work Plan is the product of negotiations between USDA and Biosecurity Australia and is precise about program requirements. Neither USDA nor OPI officials in California have the flexibility to change the provisions of the Work Plan. Ensure that shipping personnel who must implement the program are briefed on the requirements of the Work Plan. Sanitation in the fruit path and in the inspection area is critical. Make sure your inspection area is not vulnerable to the introduction of pests during the inspection. Packers must also maintain good sanitation during the storage and delivery of the product to the shipping point. ACP and SOS Protocols. To ship citrus from quarantine areas for Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) or Sweet Orange Scab (SOS), Australia requires compliance with specific mitigation protocols. Copies of these protocols can be found on the CCQC website. Additional Declarations (AD) confirming compliance with the protocols must be included on the phytosanitary certificate. Packers should be prepared to provide documentation of compliance if requested by the DAFF inspector. David R. Riggs l l 110 Chase Lane, Aptos, CA l

5 Schedule of Fees and Charges Shipping Season Program Expenses The Australia Pre clearance program for citrus is jointly funded by inspection fees paid by packers and importers (AHEA). Importers pay OPI expenses which include OPI fees and the per diem for officers assigned to California, travel, rental cars and accommodations. Inspections can only be scheduled for importers registered with AHEA. Packers pay for program coordination and management which includes scheduling, support for OPI officers while in California, data reporting and logistics. Program costs are paid for by the participants through program fees as outlined below. Program fees should be sufficient to cover program costs. However, if program costs exceed funding, participants will be billed for the shortfall at the end of the season on a pro rata basis. Alternatively, if there is excess revenue from program fees, packers will receive a refund on the same pro rata basis. The intent of the fee structure is simply to cover program costs. Fruit Inspection Fees Packers in California will be billed for OPI inspections periodically through the season. The fees for inspections are based on the average fees for the last few seasons. The following fee schedule will be in effect for the shipping season: Standard California Citrus Box $0.11 per box Small Box* $0.055 per box * Standard box for mandarins and clementine type varieties Inspection fees are separate from, and in addition to, any fees charged for county inspections and phytosanitary certificates. Upon completion of the fruit inspection, the OPI inspector will present a receipt of inspection to the participant, copies of which will be sent to the program coordinator weekly. Inspection receipts are the basis for tracking, billing and invoicing for both importers and packers. From these, invoices for inspection services will be prepared and sent to participants for payment. Instructions for completing the inspection receipt are attached. Please retain your copy of the inspection receipt and NOIs for tracking purposes. David R. Riggs l l 110 Chase Lane, Aptos, CA l

6 Instructions for completing the inspection receipt: Packers should complete the receipt while the OPI inspection is underway 1. Provide Packer information, RFI and NOI numbers 2. Fill-out the inspection receipt completely showing number of boxes by variety and pack size. 3. An importer must be listed for each line item. Provide the box count for each importer on a separate line. 4. Sign the receipt and present it to the DAFF officer at the end of the inspection. The DAFF officer will verify the number of boxes and sign the receipt. 5. The receipt is a 4-part form. Retain the original for your records. It is suggested that you keep a file with the inspection receipts and a copy of the NOI for easy reference. 6. A copy of the receipt will be included with the invoice for inspection fees. David R. Riggs l l 110 Chase Lane, Aptos, CA l

7 Instructions for Completing the Request for Inspection (RFI) form Send the RFI to no later than 12:00 noon the day before the inspection is requested The RFI Number assigned by the packer with 2 letters representing the name of the packinghouse followed by the date of the requested inspection Provide complete Contact Information Note the date, time and location for the requested inspection Pack-out date provide the date and time this shipment must be shipped out of your facility Importer Inspections can only be scheduled for importers registered with the Australia Horticultural Export Association (AHEA). Provide the names of all registered importers that will be receiving citrus from this inspection. If fruit is received from and ACP or SOS regulated area, please identify the number of lots and county of origin. David R. Riggs l l 110 Chase Lane, Aptos, CA l