ANNEXURE XI

MINIMUM INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS AND PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

Interpreted and applied to the inspection scheme referred to in Section 12 and 13 of the Ecocert-Afrisco standards for organic agriculture

B.        Production of plants, plant products, livestock and/or livestock products.

This section applies to any unit involved in production as defined in the Afrisco standards of products referred to in the Afrisco standards for its own account or for account of a third party.

Production must take place in a unit of which the production premises, land parcels, pasturage, open-air exercise areas, open air runs, livestock buildings, and, where applicable, the premises for the storage of crops, crop products, livestock products, raw materials and inputs, are clearly separate from those of any other unit not producing in accordance with the rules laid down in the Afrisco standards.

Processing, packaging and/or marketing may take place at the production unit, where these activities are limited to its own agricultural produce.

Quantities sold directly to the final consumer shall be accounted on a daily basis.

Storage, in the unit, of input products other than those permitted by the Afrisco standards is prohibited.

On receipt of a product certified in terms of the Afrisco standards, the operator shall check the closing of the packaging or container where it is required and the presence of the indications referred to in Section A6 above. The result of this verification shall be written in the documentary accounts referred to in Section A5 above.

B.1      Plants and plant products from farm production or collection

B.1.1.  Initial inspection

The full description of the unit referred to under Section A2 above must:

• be drawn up even where the producer limits his activity to the collection of wild plants,
• show the storage and production premises and land parcels and/or collection areas and, where applicable, premises where certain processing and/or packaging operations take place and
• specify the date of the last application on the parcels and/or collection areas concerned of any products not permitted in organic agriculture.

In case of collection of wild plants, the practical measures referred to under Section A2 above must include the guarantees given by third parties which the producer can provide to ensure that the provisions of Section 5.5.a to 5.5.e of the Afrisco standards are complied with.

B.1.2.  Communications

Each year, before the date indicated by Ecocert-Afrisco, the producer must notify the body or authority of its schedule of production of crop products, giving a breakdown by parcel.

B.1.3.  Several production units run by the same operator

Where an operator runs several production units in the same area, the units producing crops or crop products not certified in terms of the Afrisco standards together with storage premises for input products (such as fertilisers, plant protection products, seed) must also be subject to the General inspection arrangements described above in Section A as well as to the specific inspections described here.

The same variety as, or a variety that cannot be easily distinguished from those produced at the unit referred to in the second paragraph of section A, may not be produced at these units.

However, producers may derogate from the rule referred to in the last sentence of the preceding subparagraph:

1. in the case of the production of perennial crop products (edible fruit bearing trees, vines and hops) provided the following conditions are met:
   
   
   1. the production in question forms part of a conversion plan in respect of which the producer gives a firm undertaking and which provides for the beginning of the conversion of the last part of the area concerned to organic production in the shortest possible period which may not in any event exceed a maximum of five years,
   2. appropriate measures have been taken to ensure the permanent separation of the products obtained from each unit concerned,
   3. Ecocert-Afrisco is notified of the harvest of each of the products concerned at least 48 hours in advance,
   4. immediately upon completion of the harvest, the producer informs Ecocert-Afrisco of the exact quantities harvested on the units concerned together with any particular distinguishing features (such as quality, colour, average weight, etc. ) and confirms that the measures taken to separate the products have been applied,
   5. the conversion plan and the clearance of non-conformities following each annual inspection have been approved by Ecocert-Afrisco. This approval must be confirmed each year after the start of the conversion plan.

2. in the case of areas intended for agricultural research agreed by the South African competent authorities, provided that conditions 2, 3 and 4 and the relevant part of condition 5 referred to in (a) are met;
3. in the case of production of seed, vegetative propagating material and transplants, provided that conditions 2, 3 and 4 and the relevant part of condition 5 referred to in (a) are met;
4. in the case of grassland exclusively used for grazing.

B.2      Livestock and livestock products produced by animal husbandry

B.2.1.  Initial inspection

When the inspection system applying specifically to livestock production is first implemented, the full description of the unit referred to under Section A above must include:

• a full description of the livestock buildings, pasturage, open-air exercise areas, open air runs, etc., and, where applicable, the premises for the storage, packaging and processing of livestock, livestock products, raw materials and inputs,
• a full description of the installations for the storage of livestock manure.

The practical measures referred to under Section A2 must include:

• plan for spreading manure agreed with Ecocert-Afrisco, together with a full  description of the areas given over to crop production,
• where appropriate, as regards the spreading of manure, the written arrangements with other holdings complying with the provisions of the Afrisco standards.
• A management plan for the organic-production livestock unit (e.g. management for feeding, reproduction,  health, etc.).

B.2.2.  Identification of livestock

The livestock must be identified permanently using techniques adapted to each species, individually in the case of large mammals and individually or by batch in the case of poultry and small mammals.

B.2.3.  Livestock records

Livestock records must be compiled in the form of a register and kept available to the inspection authorities or bodies at all times at the address of the holding.

Such records, which are to provide a full description of the herd or flock management system, must contain the following information:

• by species, as regards livestock arriving at the holding: origin and date of arrival, conversion period, identification mark and veterinary record;
• as regards livestock leaving the holding: age, number of heads, weight in case of slaughter, identification mark and destination;
• details of any animals lost and reasons;
• as regards feed: type, including feed supplements, proportions of various ingredients of rations and periods of access to free-range areas, periods of transhumance where restrictions apply;
• as regards disease prevention and treatment and veterinary care: date of treatment, diagnosis, type of treatment product, method of treatment and practitioner’s prescription for veterinary care with reasons and withdrawal periods applying before livestock products can be marketed.

B.2.4.  Several production units run by the same operator

Where a producer manages several production units, with some units which produce livestock (including bees) or livestock products not certified in terms of the Afrisco standards, all the production units, both organic and conventional, must be subject to the inspection system as in Section B.2.1 above and as regards the provisions on livestock management, livestock records and the principles governing storage of animal husbandry products used.

An exception with regard to the requirement for different and distinguishable involved species on the same farm in Section 6 of the Afrisco standards may be granted to holdings carrying out agricultural research by Ecocert-Afrisco in agreement with the South African competent authority, where the following conditions are met:

• appropriate measures, agreed with Ecocert-Afrisco have been taken in order to guarantee the permanent separation between livestock, livestock products, manure and feeding stuffs of each of the units;
• the producer informs Ecocert-Afrisco in advance of any delivery or selling of the livestock or livestock products;
• the operator informs Ecocert-Afrisco of the exact quantities produced in the units together with all characteristics permitting the identification of the products and confirms that the measures taken to separate the products have been applied.

B.2.5.  Other requirements