Australian quarantine: be aware, and be clean

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

It’s hard to believe that a single blade of grass could cost thousands of dollars – but in the strictly controlled world of exporting agricultural equipment to Australia, it’s a reality.

Sanitation is a big issue for a large number of Saskatchewan implement manufacturers who ship their products to Australia. They have found out that cleanliness is essential for any goods to be accepted into the country. It’s a fact that especially hits home around this time of year, when a lot of Saskatchewan equipment begins the long trip Down Under.

Because of Australia’s unique geography as an island continent, it has a self-contained ecosystem that is extremely sensitive to outside influences. A seed carried in the smallest piece of soil on a machine or an insect in a piece of bark on a wooden crate has the potential to disrupt the delicate eco-balance of the entire country. As a result, everything coming in is subject to quarantine.

The agency that oversees the quarantine regulations is the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, or AQIS.

Jerry Beler, with Beler International Forwarding in Regina, has experience in this area, and says that even the crates or packing must meet strict specifications.

“They look for any lumber used in loading, blocking or bracing,” he said. “That wood has to meet some strict standards to ensure that there are no problems with pests being imported into Australia. Timber requires the proper markings, including the temperature at which the lumber was kiln-dried. That temperature is 56 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 30 minutes. Bark is totally not allowed.”

Beler says, of course, that any soil or plant material must be removed.

“Containers are to be totally free of any kind of straw packing or any soil of any kind. Agricultural machinery also requires declarations stating that it is new and has not been field-tested. If it has been field-tested, then it comes under other requirements where, again, it cannot contain any seed, solid straw or anything like that,” Beler explained.

Richard Aspinall with Agrimex Importers and Exporters from Dysart says used equipment often has to be completely stripped down and cleaned.

“Dust collects in various parts of a machine. This builds up and builds up, even in just a fine layer on something like a wiring harness. Out of a 20-foot length of harness, you can wind up with a big pile of soil,” stated Aspinall.

Aspinall says you need a very keen eye and lots of patience to get a machine truly clean. “For example, in a seed metering mechanism, there are lots of places where a seed can be caught up in nooks and crannies.”

A compressor and a steam cleaner are just some of the tools of the trade, but a profound attention to detail is a strong asset.

“You need a wire brush for the tires. Tires can have tiny cuts in the rubber, and you can get soil contamination in those cuts, so you’ve got to wire-brush the tire to remove any soil particles,” said Aspinall.

A full cleaning, he noted, can take up to a week-and-a-half, but while this may sound like an incredible amount of work just to be able to ship a piece of equipment to Australia, Aspinall says the margins still work.

“There are not many manufacturers in Australia, and there is a strong market for producers to upgrade what are considered older machines here,” he explained.

It can get pretty pricey if a container is found to be contaminated on the shores of Australia. “I’ve been told the worst-case scenario is that they put the thing back in the container and send it back to where it came from, at the sender’s expense,” said Aspinall.

However, both Beler and Aspinall say that, with a little preparation, all of the conditions can easily be satisfied.

“Manufacturers can meet these requirements. You just need to work it into your process right from the beginning,” stated Beler.

Manufacturers interested in exporting product to Australia are encouraged to contact Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP) at (306) 787-9210 for more information.

For more information, contact:
Brenda Hawryluk, Trade Specialist, Manufacturing
Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP)
Phone: (306) 787-9335
E-mail: bhawryluk@sasktrade.sk.ca

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
Phone: 1-800-020 504
E-mail: pr@aqis.gov.au
Website: www.daff.gov.au (Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry)