This is a protocol market. Detailed information can be found in the protocol available through Micor Plants in the 'Documents' section. Access is restricted and requires a logon. Stakeholders will need to access the protocol.
Consignments are to be free from pests, soil, weed seeds and extraneous material.
ICR only applies to the export of Persea americana
‘Hass’ cultivar (avocados) to India.
It is the exporter’s responsibility to ensure the consignment is exported within 14 days of inspection and the phytosanitary certificate is issued within 14 days of the consignment being exported from Australia.
Refer to the departure date and inspection date in the Request for Permit.
Where applicable, the exporter is to provide evidence attesting to the endorsement and present it to the Authorised Officer at the time of inspection.
Consignments are to be packed in clean, new packages/bags not previously used for any purpose.
Harvesting requirements
Only 'Hass' avocado fruit in hard condition may be picked and must meet all of the following requirements:
- Fruit must be deliberately detached from healthy branches of living trees
- Fruit must show no signs of softening and have no isolated soft areas
- Fruit must have no broken skin
Packhouse measures
Packhouses must source avocados from orchards accredited by the department.
If there is avocado fruit being stored at the packhouse intended for markets other than India, fruit destined for India must be kept appropriately segregated and be easily identifiable at all times.
Packhouse processing lines must be clean and cleared of all other articles and plant debris prior to processing 'Hass' avocado fruit intended for export to India.
Fruit must undergo a cleaning process (for example, washing and/or brushing).
- Fruit must undergo a sorting and grading process
- Any fruit that is damaged, deformed, or that does not meet the requirements of hard condition must be removed during the sorting, grading and packing process in the packhouse.
All plant trash must be excluded from the 'Hass' avocado fruit before being packed.
Avocado fruit must be packed in clean and new packaging, and labelled with applicable packhouse and orchard block numbers.
Labelling requirements
India has specific labelling requirements that must be strictly adhered to, each label must be printed, and not handwritten. Any variation will not be accepted unless prior approval has been provided by India.
Each secured carton must be labelled and must be placed in an easily visible location and be clear and easy to read. Each label must include the following information:
- Produce of Australia
- Name of exporting company
- Name of fruit (common name and variety) e.g AVOCADO, HASS
- Orchard accreditation number to block level e.g AVXX-AXX or AVXXXX-AXX
- Packhouse accreditation number e.g., AVXX-PCTXX or AVXXXX-PCTXX
Export inspection
All fresh avocados for export to India are subject to 600 or a 2% of unit sampling inspection.
Fruits must undergo pre-export inspections at a registered export establishment.
An authorised officer must visually inspect and verify that the avocado fruits;
- are free from quarantine pests and diseases regulated by India, and
- have no sign of fruit fly infestation, and
- are only Hass avocados, and
- are undamaged and in the hard condition.
Note: Fruits must be rejected during export inspection if any live quarantine pests of India are detected.
Fruit security after inspection
Air- freight consignments
- If carton or pallet level security applied at packhouse – then the consignment must be resecured (post inspection) consistent with how it was presented prior to inspection.
- If carton or pallet level security applied at freight forwarder – then the freight forwarder must apply appropriate security method to the consignment as agreed to by exporter (as per the carton/pallet security policy). Consignment must be verified to be secured post inspection.
- Consignment is to remain in secure state until it is inspected on arrival by importing NPPO.
The inspecting AO must note that the consignment has been secured post inspection, including the method of security been applied in the comments field of the horticulture inspection record.
Note: Consignment must be secured at carton or pallet level by using insect proof mesh or plastic wrapping (any holes must be <1.6mm).
Sea freight consignments
- Loading and sealing of sea freight containers must be supervised and staff loading export containers must ensure goods are moved from the secured area into the export containers as quickly as possible.
Certification requirementsThe phytosanitary certificate must also include the scientific name, common name and cultivar of avocado fruit and contain the packhouse accreditation number.
The accredited packhouse number/s must be entered in the phytosanitary certificate under item 12 (Distinguishing marks and Container nos). This must be entered into the “shipping marks" section of the EXDOC Request for Permit (RFP) and be in the format of: P-house AVXX-PCTXX or AVXXXX-PCTXX
For sea freight shipments, both the container and seal numbers must be recorded on the phytosanitary certificate. Air freighted consignments should have the flight number, if known, included on the phytosanitary certificate.
