Fruit registration rule extended

Fruit from unregistered orchards or packaging plants will be barred from export starting November 1, a senior quality control official said yesterday.
Fruit exporters will also be required to keep records on the origin, volume and destination of each batch of fruit they ship for at least two years, Yu Taiwei, director of the animal and plant quarantine department of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), said.
He also said during an online interview that the administration had required inspection and quarantine departments across the country to advise orchards and packaging plants on the use of agricultural chemicals, and the prevention and control of harmful organisms.
"Fruits are important, sensitive products in international agricultural trade, so we shall try our best to ensure their safety," Yu said.
The move marks the first time the authorities will require all fruits destined for export to come from registered orchards and packaging plants. Currently, only those exported to North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions meet this standard.
"However, there has been some quarantine problems involving fruit exported to Russia recently, so we've decided to expand the rule to fruit bound for all countries and regions," Yu said.
He said the move was also part of a national campaign on food safety and product quality that started late last month.