Note: Access to this market was granted on 5 September 2023.
Consignments are to be free from pests, soil, weed seeds and extraneous material.
Original and certified translation of the import permit must be presented 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.
This is a protocol market, growers/orchards and packhouses must meet the requirements outlined in the protocol and be accredited by the department. Only fruit sourced and packed from accredited properties will be certified.
The protocol and the operational work plan is available through
MICoR Plants in the Documents section. Access is restricted and requires a logon.
The Thailand Ministry of Public Health, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires packhouses to implement good practice requirements. Further information regarding these requirements can be found
here.
Avocados are permitted to be exported to Thailand from:
- Western Australia – (only “Hass" cultivar)
Grower requirementsOrchards must be audited and approved in accordance with the avocado protocol agreement.
Growers must ensure that only hard mature green 'Hass' avocados are harvested for Thailand.
Harvesting requirements
Only 'Hass' avocado fruit in hard mature green 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
Note: Green is considered as “green" in colour with fruit to be hard and green at harvest
Packhouses requirements
Only fresh avocado fruit meeting the “hard mature green condition" can be packed for export to Thailand.
Packhouses must source avocados from orchards accredited by the department and maintain records of supplying orchards.
Fruits destined for Thailand under the non-host pathway must be packed and secured within 48 hours from time of initial harvest.
If there is avocado fruit being stored at the packhouse intended for markets other than Thailand, fruit destined for Thailand must be kept appropriately segregated and be easily identifiable at all times.
Packaging requirements
Avocados must be packed and secured within the PFA (Western Australia). Security of fruit must not be breached during transportation and must remain intact upon arrival at the Registered Establishment
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 Thailand.
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 green mature 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.
Product security during transportation
One of the following requirements must be met for transport where packaging material has ventilation holes:
- Security of individual cartons: Vented packing cartons must be made insect proof through the use of mesh or plastic wrap (any holes must be <1.6mm). Individually secured packages may be palletised for transport and may be deconsolidated provided individual package security is not breached.
- Security of palletised cartons: Cartons with unmeshed vents, or other unsecure packages that are placed on a pallet must be secured with insect proof mesh or plastic wrap covering all surfaces of the pallet.
Where goods are secured at pallet level and is transferred after inspection, a label with the following wording in large bold font must be attached to the face of the pallet:
“Export secure pallet. Do not deconsolidate"
Labelling requirements
DOA 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 DOA.
Each secured carton or secured pallet 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:
- Country of origin (e.g., Produce of Australia, Product of Australia)
- Name of exporting company
- Name of fruit (Avocado and
- Hass)
- Orchard accreditation number to block level e.g. AVXX-AXX or AVXXXX-AXX
- Packhouse accreditation number e.g. AVXX-PCTXX or AVXXXX-PCTXX
Additional labelling requirements
For fruits exported in loose cartons, the following labels must also be included on each secured carton;
“EXPORT TO THAILAND"
For fruits exported on pallets, the following labels must be included on each side of the secured pallet;
“EXPORT TO THAILAND"
Note: Pallets used in the export process must be new, clean and meet ISPM 15.
Export inspection
All fresh avocados for export to Thailand are subject to 600 or a 2% of unit sampling inspection.
At inspection the authorised officer must verify that the fruit is;
- free from pests and diseases of concern to Thailand, and
- free from soil, weed seeds and extraneous material , and
- only Hass avocados grown in Western Australia, and
- undamaged and in the hard green mature condition.
Avocados must be inspected in accordance with appropriate official procedures and found to be free from any quarantine pests specified in Annex 1 of the avocado protocol.
If live stages of fruit flies are found, the infested consignment must be withdrawn from export.
After inspection, the AO must apply a “PASSED FOR EXPORT" label/sticker. This can be a single label/sticker per pallet or carton. After inspection the consignment must be re-secured.
Certification requirements
The 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 no.). 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.
For consignments exported via sea transport, the Authorised Officer must place a numbered seal on all sea freight containers. The seal number must be noted on the phytosanitary certificate.
Where applicable, the exporter is to provide evidence attesting to the endorsement and present it to the Authorised Officer at the time of inspection.
