Implementation of recommendations from the Avocado Nursery Voluntary Accreditation Scheme review (AV16013)

What was it all about?

The long-running Avocado Nursery Voluntary Accreditation Scheme (ANVAS) was established to provide superior planting material for the avocado industry. It has supported sound nursery practices, the use of virus-tested and registered sources of seed and budwood, and the exclusion of soil-borne plant pathogens and roots diseases. Participation in the scheme has been voluntary, with any nursery operator that meets ANVAS requirements able to apply for accreditation.

ANVAS was reviewed as part of a previous levy-funded project, and investment AV16013 was tasked with implementing the recommendations from this work – updating and improving the scheme and its guidelines to ensure they are best placed to protect the industry’s productivity and profitability, and that they are aligned with new technologies and emergent pathogens. This was to include transitioning the ANVAS nursery production requirements into the Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme Australia (NIASA).

The work involved mapping synergies and gaps between ANVAS and NIASA, and producing an expanded nursery production module dealing specifically with current avocado production challenges and risks, to ensure the best possible stock to industry customers. The NIASA ‘High Health Avocado Production’ requirements now form part of revised NIASA guidelines and NIASA’s National Audit Portal.

Ongoing updates and improvements to the avocado production procedures will continue to be overseen by a committee involving both Avocados Australia and Nursery and Garden Industry Australia representatives.

At the time of writing this summary, transition of technical ANVAS requirements for avocado production nurseries to the new NIASA requirements was set to begin in January 2019, with the final transition to be achieved by January 2020. ANVAS accreditation will still be managed by Avocados Australia, with production nurseries required to provide evidence of NIASA High Health Avocado Production accreditation to support their applications. Look for more details in industry channels as they arise.