Digital authenticity seal creates a buzz for apiculture industry

Roving deputy secretary David Hazlehurst has never been shy of a big digital challenge or two, having delivered the first incarnation of the Digital Transformation Office on the election of the Abbott government, only to be handed the user audit (read clean-up) of the myGov platform upon the election of the Albanese regime.

But it’s what the changemaker does for a day job when he isn’t helping new ministers find their feet that is creating a bit of a buzz, not least for wrangling one of the bureaucracy’s more unwieldy pieces of electronic machinery: Australia’s literally precious export traceability and certification system.

As anyone trying to sell country-of-origin products overseas will attest to, indisputable authenticity is the bedrock of quality assurance and value-adding because it maintains the premium people will pay for the genuine article, whether its spring lamb, lobster or organic, cool-climate wine.

Now, the latest sector to get a digital seal of authenticity from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is honey exporters and the Australian apiculture industry sending goods to the European Union and its former member Great Britain, who will now get an “eCert” for bee goods.

The honey bee industry in Australia is big business, with DAFF estimating it to be worth around $14 billion a year. Around 10% of Australian-produced honey is exported. The honey bee sector is also vital to wider agriculture because of its role in pollinating crops.

“Under the new system, honey exporters will no longer have to submit lengthy paper applications to the department for their export certification,” DAFF said, adding the shift to eCerts “will significantly reduce processing times.”

Acting deputy secretary at DAFF Matt Koval says the move is “part of the department’s digital reforms to modernise ag export trade systems, streamline processes and provide significant benefits to our honey exporters.”

“More than fifty overseas markets have their export certification issued via NEXDOC for honey and apiculture products, and this will ensure that Australia’s high-quality agricultural products continue to meet the needs of trading partners around the world.”

In NEXDOC educational videos, Hazlehurst says dairy was the first sector to transition to the new web-based system that utilises QR codes to “automatically generate export certifications.”

“A better export documentation system means a better experience for our farmers and exporters, a faster and lower cost pathway to markets.”

It also means that transactions and their documentation can go straight through rather than being held up on a clerk’s desk waiting for paperwork to arrive or be re-entered.

“This eCert connection with the EU enables a government-to-government exchange of Australia’s honey export certification. All countries part of the EU TRACES NT digital platform will now receive their certification electronically,” Koval said.

Daff estimates the transition to a digital certification process “is expected to benefit honey exporters and contribute to the forecast record value of $75 billion for ag exports in 2022-23.”

This article was first published by The Mandarin.