Document J GUIDELINES APPLES AND PEARS TO USA (PRE-CLEARANCE* OPTION)

Transcription

1 Document J GUIDELINES APPLES AND PEARS TO USA (PRE-CLEARANCE* OPTION) PHYTOSANITARY REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING PROCEDURES FOR EXPORT OF APPLES AND PEARS FROM RSA TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Disclaimer: This document serves only as a guideline. It is the responsibility of the user to consult the complete compliance regulation of the concerned country (protocol, import permit, directive etc.), for further clarification. Refer DAFF website. Version: 1.2 Updated: 30 April 2018 by Fruit industry workgroup (DAFF, FPEF, HORTGRO, PPECB) Table: The Conventional, pre-clearance* option (1) and (2) for shipping apples/pears to USA OPTION Conventional Apples (preclearance option). Refer document J*. Conventional Pears (preclearance option). Refer document B*. DAFF special market registration needed? DAFF inspecting orchards prior to harvesting (if registered, inspection fee paid for)? PPECB quality inspection on packed apples DAFF PHYTO preclearance inspection on packed apples needed? Irradiation prior to cold treatment on RSA side? Cold Treatment on vessel/in container needed? MeBr fumigation needed on arrival in USA? Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No *Pre-clearance for the USA market refers to the act of inspection of the packed apples/pears by inspectors of DAFF/USDA-APHIS in South Africa (prior to the issue of a Phytosanitary Certificate by DAFF and PPQ 203 certificate by USDA-APHIS), according to specific prior arrangement and request by the exporter. **Details of other types of products shipping options to the USA are explained in separate documents.

2 1. Apples/Pears shipped to the USA with Pre Clearance According to the protocol determined by bilateral agreement, apples (Malus domestica) and pears (Pyrus communis) can be exported from all production areas in the Republic of South Africa and be shipped to USA with pre-clearance inspections and the required documentation [PPQ 203 and SA official phytosanitary certificate] and are subject to mandatory in-transit cold treatment of 1.11 C or below for 14 consecutive days USDA/APHIS treatment T107-a. 2. Critical Quarantine Pests Bactrocera dorsalis Ceratitis capitata Ceratitis rosa Calpe provocans - Epichoristodes acerbella Raglius apicalis Eutetranychus orientalis Invasive fruit fly Med fruit fly Natal fruit fly Noctuidae Pear leaf-roller Lygaeidae (Seed bug) Oriental red mite 3. Various Hitch-hiking Pests Phlyctinus callosus Cryptolarynx vitis Macchiademus diplopterus Dysdercus spp Gonocephalum simplex Gryllus bimaculatus Theba pisana Carbula litigatrix Banded fruit weevil Vine snout beetle Grain chinch bug Cotton stainer Dusty surface beetle Cricket Snail Stink bug Full list of actionable pest hitch hikers and diseases of concern See USDA-APHIS Work Plan for Pre- Clearance and Cold Treatment. (Appendix 2) New updated version will be available in 3 6 months. If any new pest or hitch-hiker is detected, USDA-APHIS will first ID pest before releasing the result.

3 4. Registration Requirements with the Department of Agriculture; Forestry & Fisheries (DAFF) 4.1 Registration of production units (PUC s), pack houses (PHC s), orchards and inspection facilities is done annually. Production-Health-Food-Safety/Plant-Health/Exporting-from-SA/Phytosanitary 4.2 On-line registration via the Phytclean tool. 5. Requirements for the Management of Pests of Quarantine Importance (Monitoring and Control) in the Orchards 5.1 Only apple and pear orchards approved by USDA/DAFF will be allowed to pack for this programme. 5.2 Detailed and updated records of monitoring and spraying results must at all times be available for verification and audit purposes by USDA-APHIS and DAFF. 5.3 Spray logs will be available for every orchard for the entire season. 5.4 Orchards will be identified with cards affixed to the side of each picking crate of fruit packed from the orchard. 5.5 The cards should include: orchard number, cultivar and date harvested. 6. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP s) All growers must comply with the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) as established by DAFF for the following pests: 6.1 Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) 6.2 Fruit flies (Ceratitis capitata, Ceratitis rosa, Bactrocera dorsalis), 6.3 Banded fruit weevil (Phlyctinus callosus), 6.4 Pear leaf-roller (Epichoristodes acerbella), 6.5 Various hitchhiking pests (Macchiademus diplopterus, Dysdercus spp., Gonocephalum simplex, Gryllus bimaculatus, Theba pisana, Carbulalitigatrix, Ceiracanthium spp.) 6.6 According to the agreement between USDA-APHIS and DAFF, additional measures must be implemented. Existing measures may be revised by USDA-APHIS/DAFF Weekly monitoring of pests (traps counts) of quarantine importance by trained scouts Orchard sanitation.

4 7. Marking Requirements for Cartons The following information must be on the business side of each and every carton: 7.1 For all information regarding marking requirements, please refer to the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (ACT No. 119 of 1990), Standards and requirements regarding control of the export of apples. (English and Afrikaans version) Assurance/Export-Standards/Deciduous-Fruit/Apples 7.2 Apples and pears must be packed in clean, new boxes ONLY. Boxes must be marked with correct and accurate information. Re-use of boxes is prohibited. 7.3 No superimposing of any marking requirements (No sticker on top of another sticker). 7.4 PUC and PHC as registered with DAFF. 7.5 Not more than one orchard number is allowed per carton, if applied to cartons. 8. Marking Requirements for Pallets 8.1 Sticker with target market code NI (Not inspected) must be affixed on all four sides of each pallet. 8.2 ISPM 15 (wooden pallet base) Mark must be legible and permanent. 8.3 Only DAFF approved pallet manufacturers and treatment (MB/HT) service providers are allowed. 8.4 Non-compliance will be rejected at pack houses by PPECB and at ports by DAFF Inspection Services (D:IS). 9. Consignment size Minimum Consignment Size Shall be 10 Pallets 10. Biometric Sampling Procedures for Apples The physical selection of the cartons for sampling is the responsibility of the pack house. (Sample must be drawn at the pack house) USDA-APHIS/DAFF may monitor sampling and safeguarding activities. A biometric sampling procedure has been established that provides a 95% confidence level when an infestation level of 4% or higher is present when 6% of the consignments sampled and inspected. Sampling protocol: Biometric sample size (Cartons) Pears 12.5 kg Apples 18.5 kg 0 to to > The sample cartons should be numbered as each is selected. The number should reflect the sample interval.

5 11. Selection procedure for consignments that are HOMOGENOUS (only one producer, one fruit variety) A. Establish the inspection unit (consignment size) eg. 1800cartons (12.5kg size) B. Divide the inspection unit size by the biometric sample size: 1800/75 = 24 (this is the sampling interval). C. Randomly select a number between 1 and 24, eg. 10. This is the first carton to be selected for inspection. D. To determine the second carton, add the sampling interval (24) to the first carton number (10): = 34; 34 is the number of the second carton. E. To determine the third carton, add the sampling interval (24) to the second carton number (34): = 58; is the number of the third carton. F. Continue the process until the biometric sample size (in this case 75 cartons) is reached. 12. Selection procedure for consignments consisting of fruit from two or more different cultivars A consignment of two or more different cultivars is sampled as a single unit. If a rejection occurs in any of the cultivars, the entire consignment is rejected. 13. Selection procedure for consignments consisting of fruit from two or more producers The number of pallets presented by any one producer, in relation to the number presented by the other producers contributing to the consignment, determine the number of sample cartons to be drawn from each producer. Example: Three producers contribute to a consignment totaling 3,200 cartons (12.5 kg size). Biometric sample size = 75 cartons Producer Inspection Unit Size Sample Size cartons 1800 x 75 = cartons 1800 x 75 = round to cartons 1800 x 75 = round to 21 Cartons sampled from producer #1 = 29 cartons; from producers #2 will be 25 and producer #3 will be 21

6 Procedure: Producer 1 : divide 700/29 = the interval will be 24. Choose number between 1-24, say 10 then the first carton will be 10 the second carton will be 10+24=34 and the third carton will be = 58 until you reach 29 cartons Producer 2: divide 600/25 = 24, choose number between 1-24, say 10 then first carton will be 10 the second carton will be = 34, third carton will be = 58, until you reach 25 cartons Producer 3: divide 500/21 = 24, choose number between 1-24, say 10 then first carton will be 10 the second carton will be = 34, third carton will be = 58, until you reach 21 cartons An interception from one producer will result in rejection of the entire consignment but the strike would be against the offending producer. 14. Documentation Accompanying the Consignments to the Phytosanitary Inspection Points 14.1 Original DAFF accompanying document. (link) 14.2 No restriction on the number of intake documents (consignment notes) per sample accompanying document No intake documents (consignment notes) are allowed to be issued and stamped by PPECB at intake points, ports or phytosanitary inspection points Consignments from Bactrocera dorsalis (BD) free areas do not require a removal permit according to Regulation R USDA-APHIS/DAFF inspection (at approved inspection facility) 15.1 DAFF approved inspection points for 2016 / 2017 SAFT Cold Harvest Paarl, SAFT Killarney, Cape Fruit Coolers, Two a Day, CFG, NoVo Packhouse, Kromco (for apples) Note: Port terminal (storage) facilities may be registered for China but not operational for the current season. Liaise with facilities before transporting fruit to the specific facilities Requirements USDA-APHIS/DAFF will verify the presented sample pallet (PUC/PHC/Variety/Orchard number) against details on the DAFF accompanying document and registered/approved DAFF database Any consignment arriving at the inspection depot without the marked sample pallet (with biometrically sampled cartons) will be rejected Consignments in the queue for inspection must be safeguarded USDA-APHIS/DAFF can only reject a consignment once a live pest or hitchhiker is detected All pallets for the main consignment and samples must be ISPM 15

7 approved Inspection results will be communicated (via fax/ ) by the inspection facility to the contact person specified on the DAFF accompanying documents Compulsory 72hr pre-cooling will ONLY commence once consignments are successfully passed by USDA-APHIS/DAFF inspection At the time of loading, all passed pallets must display USDA passed stickers on two sides (inspection facility responsibility) USDA passed pallets must be stored at least 1 m from other export destination fruit. 16. Running average 16.1 A 21 inspection day running average of interceptions will be kept for each fruit type (apples and pears) At least 20 consignments must be presented for inspection during the given timeframe If the rejection rate reaches 20%, immediate fumigation or cessation of all further or future shipments will be implemented. All consignments that have been passed up to that point, whether in storage or in transit, will remain approved for export If the programme is terminated, re-negotiation of the USA programme for the next season will be necessary All consignments that have been passed up to that point, whether in storage or in transit, will remain approved for export. 17. Three strike System A consignment rejected for live pests or hitch hikers is considered a strike. A PUC will be suspended for the duration of the season if it incurs three strikes. It is the industry s responsibility to keep track of the strikes and DAFF s responsibility to manage the situation and communicate this information to the USDA APHIS Area Director. 18. Program reinstatement 18.1 In order for a suspended PUC to be reinstated for the next export season the producer must follow the regular special market registration process USDA-APHIS/DAFF will schedule an inspection visit to the applicable PUC The PUC must provide related documentation of corrective actions taken to USDA- APHIS/DAFF DAFF will consider reinstatement based upon the PUC visit and evidence presented.

8 19. Shipping Requirements 19.1 Safeguards All fruit will be shipped in conventional refrigerated vessels that are USDA- APHIS approved, or in USDA-APHIS approved integral reefer containers All integral reefer containers and conventional vessels, must be clean, dry and taint free Sealing Requirements Conventional vessels (hatches and booby hatches) and Integral reefer containers will be sealed with braided wire with lead seals or premanufactured plastic seals. The seals used for vessels will be inscribed with the PPECB logo and for the containers inscribed with a serial number and PPECB logo. These seals may only be broken in the presence of a USDA- APHIS officer Cold Treatment Requirements Compulsory minimum 72 hr pre-cooling period of which the last 24hours the product must be at protocol temperature In- transit cold treatment Apples and pears will be cold treated at 1.1 C or below for 14 consecutive days. This is the treatment currently recognized for fruit fly species in South Africa on treatment T107-a. 21. Phytosanitary Certificate and Conditions of Entry A Phytosanitary certificate together with a PPQ203 will be issued by the South African Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) must accompany each shipment of apples/pears which has been pre-cleared by the USDA-APHIS. 22. Phytosanitary Certificate Additional Declaration Fruit comply with USA pre-clearance export programme for export of deciduous fruit from South Africa, requirements. A phytosanitary certificate with additional declaration: Additional declaration and disinfection treatment together with a PPQ203 will be issued including an in-transit cold treatment certificate (by PPECB) for reefer containers.