Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Melon from Honduras to China
I. Inspection and quarantine basis
(I) "Biosafety Law of the People's Republic of China";
(II) "Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine" and its implementing regulations;
(III) "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" and its implementing regulations;
(IV) "Regulations on Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Imported Fruits";
(V) "Protocol on Plant Quarantine Requirements for the Export of Fresh Melons from Honduras to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of the Republic of Honduras".
II. Names of commodities allowed for import
Fresh melon, scientific name Cucumis melo, English name Melon. The melons exported from Honduras to China are limited to thick-skinned melons, including Cantaloupe: Harper, White and Yellow Honey Dew Melon, Galia Melon: Amaregal, Agrogal, Apacigal.
III. Permitted origins
Honduras melon producing areas.
IV. Approved orchards and packaging plants
Melon orchards and packaging plants exported to China must be reviewed and filed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras) and approved for registration by the Chinese Customs. Registration information includes name, address and registration number, etc., so as to accurately trace the source when the exported goods do not comply with the relevant provisions of this announcement. Before the export season each year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras shall provide the Chinese Customs with a list of enterprises, which will be published on the website after review and approval by the Chinese Customs.
V. List of quarantine pests of concern to China Customs
1. Ceratitis capitata
2. Diaphania hyalinata
3. Diaphania nitidalis
4. Helicoverpa zea
5. Planococcus minor
6. Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi
7. Dickeya chrysanthemi
8. Monosporascus cannonballus
VI. Pre-export management
(I) Orchard management.
1. Melon orchards exported to China should establish a sound quality management system and traceability system under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras, implement good agricultural practices (GAP), maintain orchard sanitation conditions, and implement integrated pest management (IPM), including regular pest monitoring surveys, physical, chemical or biological pest control, and harvesting before the fruit matures and other related agricultural operation control measures;
2. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras should formulate a management plan for quarantine pests of concern to Chinese Customs in accordance with the requirements of International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 6 (ISPM 6), and organize and implement orchard monitoring throughout the year. If pests or their corresponding symptoms are found during monitoring, comprehensive management measures including chemical, physical or biological control should be taken to ensure that melons exported to China do not carry quarantine pests of concern to Chinese Customs;
3. The monitoring and control of pests in orchards exported to China should be implemented under the supervision and guidance of professional and technical personnel of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras. Technical personnel should receive training from the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock or its authorized agencies;
4. Orchards exporting to China should keep records of pest monitoring and control, and the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock should provide them to the Chinese Customs upon request. Control records should include information such as the name, active ingredients, dosage and time of chemical agents used during the growing season;
5. The Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock should establish a monitoring system for Ceratitis capitata. During the growing and harvesting seasons of melons, the use of Ceratitis capitata sex attractants combined with systemic control measures such as fruit cutting can effectively reduce the population density of Ceratitis capitata (see the attachment for specific operations). Before the export season, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras shall submit monitoring records and reports to the Chinese Customs;
6. For other pests such as Diaphania hyalinata, Diaphania nitidalis, Helicoverpa zea, Planococcus minor, Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi, Dickeya chrysanthemi and Monosporascus cannonballus, field monitoring and investigation shall be carried out during the melon growing season, from the germination period to the harvest period, at least once every 15 days, focusing on investigating whether the above pests occur on branches, stems, leaves and fruits. If suspected diseases are found, samples shall be sent to the laboratory for identification and analysis. Orchards shall take necessary prevention and control measures, such as biological, physical or chemical methods, to control the occurrence of pests.
(II) Packaging plant management.
1. The processing, packaging, storage and shipment of melons exported to China shall be carried out under the quarantine supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras or its authorized personnel. The packaging factory for melons exported to China should have good sanitary conditions and measures to prevent reinfection by pests (such as insect-proof nets, etc.);
2. During the processing and packaging process, melons exported to China should be manually selected, soaked in fungicides, blown with air guns, and washed on the surface of the fruit to ensure that there are no insects, mites, branches, leaves, roots and soil, and rotten and deformed fruits should be removed.
(III) Packaging requirements.
1. The packaging materials for melons exported to China should be clean and unused, and meet China's relevant plant quarantine and safety and hygiene requirements. If wooden packaging is used, it must comply with the requirements of International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15);
2. During the transportation from the planting base to the packaging factory, the exported melons must be covered with insect-proof gauze (the mesh size of the gauze is less than 1.6 mm). The packaged melons should be properly preserved and stored separately to avoid infection by pests;
3. Each packaging box should be marked in Chinese or English with the fruit name, country, origin, orchard name or registration number, and packaging factory name or registration number. Each package box and pallet must be marked in Chinese or English with "输往中华人民共和国" or "Exported to the People's Republic of China".
(IV) Pre-export inspection and quarantine.
1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras shall sample and inspect each batch of melons exported to China at a rate of 2% per batch of goods, and dissect and inspect 0.5% of the melons. If there are no plant quarantine problems within two years, the sampling rate can be reduced to 1%;
2. If Ceratitis capitata is found, the export of Honduran melons to China will be suspended, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras will negotiate with the Chinese Customs on the revision of plant quarantine requirements;
3. If other pests, branches, leaves or soil of concern to the Chinese Customs are found, the batch of goods shall not be exported to China, and the export of melons from the relevant orchards and packaging plants to China will be suspended in this export season as appropriate. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras shall find out the reasons and take improvement measures. At the same time, keep the records of seizures and provide them to the Chinese Customs upon request.
(V) Requirements for plant quarantine certificates.
1. For melons that have passed the quarantine, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras shall issue a phytosanitary certificate in accordance with the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 12 (ISPM 12), indicating the name or registration number of the orchard and packaging plant, and an additional statement: "This consignment complies with the requirements specified in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Melons from Honduras to China, and is free from quarantine pests of concern to China."
2. Before the formal start of trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras shall provide a sample of the phytosanitary certificate to the Chinese Customs for confirmation and filing.
VII. Entry Inspection and Quarantine and Disqualified Treatment
When melons exported to China arrive at the Chinese entry port, the Chinese Customs shall implement inspection and quarantine in accordance with the following requirements.
(I) Verification of relevant certificates and labels.
1. Verify whether the imported melons have obtained the "Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit";
2. Verify whether the phytosanitary certificate complies with the provisions of Article 6, Item (V) of this Announcement;
3. Check whether the markings on the packaging boxes and pallets comply with the provisions of Article 6, Item (3) of this Announcement.
(II) Entry Inspection and Quarantine.
1. Melons exported to China should enter the country from ports where Chinese Customs allows the import of fruits;
2. According to relevant laws, administrative regulations, rules and regulations, melons exported to China shall be subject to inspection and quarantine. If they pass the inspection and quarantine, they shall be allowed to enter the country.
(III) Disqualified treatment.
1. If it is found that they come from unapproved orchards or packaging plants, the batch of goods will not be allowed to enter the country;
2. If Ceratitis capitata is found alive, the batch of goods will be returned, destroyed or quarantined and pest-free. At the same time, China Customs will immediately notify the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras to suspend the export of melons from the relevant orchards or packaging plants to China, and suspend the entire project as appropriate. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras should conduct an investigation, find out the reasons and take corresponding improvement measures to prevent such situations from happening again. China Customs will evaluate the improvement measures taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras and decide whether to cancel the suspension measures taken based on the evaluation results;
3. If other quarantine pests of concern to China Customs or newly discovered quarantine pests by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras are found, the batch of goods will be returned, destroyed or quarantined. China Customs shall notify the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras and will conduct a joint investigation. China Customs may suspend the export of Honduran melons to China until the pest risk analysis is completed again;
4. If it is found that it does not meet the national food safety standards of China, the batch of goods will be returned or destroyed.
GACC
August 23, 2024
Ceratitis capitata monitoring plan
In accordance with the requirements of the relevant provisions of this announcement, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras shall take necessary monitoring measures to monitor Ceratitis capitata. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras shall keep monitoring records and provide them to China Customs upon request when necessary. If suspected pests or fruit flies are found, they should be sent to the laboratory for identification immediately, and the monitoring results should be reported to the Chinese Customs.
1. Trapping monitoring
Ceratitis capitata is monitored with artificial pheromones in the melon production areas exported to China in Honduras.
Type of lure: Ceratitis capitata sex lure.
Type of trap: Jackson trap or other suitable trap.
Monitoring location: melon planting bases exported to China, packaging plants and storage cold storage areas, melon distribution points, inspection and quarantine sites, etc.
Hanging position: Hang at a suitable height above the ground, pay attention to shade, avoid direct sunlight or rain.
Trap density: Traps are set at a density of 2 per 10 hectares, orchards less than 10 hectares should have no less than 2, and at least 1 trap is set for each other monitoring location.
Trapping monitoring: It should start from the fruit setting of melons and continue until the end of the harvest period.
Lure replacement: Replace according to the product instructions.
Number of surveys: At least once every 2 weeks.
According to the trapping results, calculate the FTD value (FTD value is "the average number of each fruit fly trapped per trap per day", FTD = number of target fruit flies captured/number of days/number of traps). If FTD > 0.7, the orchard should take control measures to reduce the population density of Ceratitis capitata.
2. Fruit dissection inspection
From one month before the harvest of melons exported to China to the end of the harvest season, randomly select fruit samples for dissection inspection once every two weeks. The number of fruit samples selected is 10 per hectare, and orchards less than 1 hectare should not be less than 10. Focus on selecting suspicious damaged fruits such as deformed, insect-infested or scarred fruits for dissection inspection.
