- Obtain a copy of the National Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce as all certification groups must adhere to these standards. Some groups may also have additional requirements.
To access a copy, either;
- download a copy from the Australian Quarantine and Inspection service (AQIS) website: www.aqis.gov.au/organic, or
-
contact DPIW Organics, (03) 6336 5229 for a copy.
- Consider having a preliminary soil test (for contaminants) taken before you proceed if there are grounds for suspicion (particularly old orchards or paddocks used for intensive potato production). It will be necessary to have the sample collected by an independent qualified person and keep a map of the locations of the samples for future reference.
Negotiate with the certification group for this test to be taken into consideration at the first inspection (and the cost taken off the charge for your first inspection).
- Obtain information (including price) concerning each of the certification groups that operate in Tasmania.
- Decide on which certification group you wish to use and pay their fee. The certification group will want some background on the prior use of the land as a statutory declaration.
- The certification group will arrange for your first inspection (with annual inspections from then on).
Soil/plant sample.
At the first inspection the inspector will want to go over the land being certified and will take a random soil or plant tissue sample for testing for prohibited contaminants (the cost of this test is included in your certification fee). The inspector will also be assessing your ability to manage an operation according to the organic standards.
The inspector will also go through the requirements for certification and answer any questions you may have about the process, prohibited and allowable inputs, records etc.
Farm records.
A major requirement for certification is for the producer to maintain adequate records to enable the traceback of product from the point of sale (to the eventual consumer) back to the farm (and the paddock) it was produced from.
These records will typically include;
- a farm map indicating paddock/area numbering system and the location of a quarantine block for livestock,
- a program for the certification of the whole farm if not already intended (certification of only part of the farm is allowed under the National Standards, with provision for full certification within 10 years). Not all groups allow ‘part certification’.
- an organic management plan for the operation of the property (keep this simple, often one page is sufficient),
- a farm diary listing events important for certification (eg date bull purchased, and the dates of entry into, and out of, the quarantine block),
- farm inputs (amounts of fertiliser and seed used, and from where they were purchased, etc)
- input purchase invoices
- farm produce sales
- sale receipts
- a ‘batch’ numbering system (perhaps ‘pack date’, or ‘use-by date’ or a paddock
code ?)
- The inspector will forward the inspection report to the certification group and they will inform you of the outcome.
- Once the inspection report has been accepted by the certification group the farm enters a period of ‘pre-certification’ for 12 months. During this period farm produce cannot be sold as ‘organic’ or ‘in-conversion to organic’.
- Following the success of the second inspection, the farm is considered as ‘organic in-conversion’. All product labels must indicate this and must include the certification group’s logo and registration number.
Note: Your product labels must be accepted by the certification group before they are used.
- Transition to ‘organic’ certification will depend on the prior history of the farm as outlined in your certification application and statutory declaration. It will generally be following the success of your 4th or 5th inspection.
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