After a two-year break due to Covid-19 restrictions, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) inspection visits resumed in January. These visits, which tended to take place roughly annually (pre-Covid), enable Japan MAFF to audit New Zealand’s Official Assurance Programme (OPA) for ensuring that codling moth will not be present on cherries destined for Japan.
As part of this inspection visit, the inspector checked processes such as the locations of codling moth traps on orchards and also looked at pre-grading fruit inspections that are carried out by Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)-Approved Organisation (MAO) inspectors, as well as the normal phytosanitary inspection. Registered Packhouses needed to show they had track and trace procedures in place, a working knowledge of the Japan cherry export programme and adequate safe storage of the ‘Japan’ tape. The tape states that the box of fruit is ‘cleared by NZ Government for Export to Japan’.
Summerfruit NZ’s role is to facilitate Japan export registrations on behalf of MPI, and organise and attend the inspection visit. SNZ’s Technical Advisor, Richard Mills, attended the visit along with Peter Ensor and Stephen Ogden of Market Access Solutionz.
This season there was a significant increase in the number of orchards that registered for the Japan OAP and as a consequence, there were more orchards to visit. The Japan inspector visited three packhouses and 17 orchard blocks. Some of the orchards had three to four traps to inspect and others up to 30 traps. So, over the week there were a lot of kilometres walked.
Thanks to all those who were involved in this inspection visit, which was a successful pass for our industry as there were no issues with the OAP.
Juan Rosales (MPI), Hiroyuki Sumida (MAFF) and Richard Mills (SNZ).
Photo credit: Stephen Ogden (MAS)