Who is AuSPICA?
The Australian Seed Potato Industry Certification Authority (AuSPICA) is an industry-based, not-for-profit authority formerly called ViCSPA that operates the certified seed potato scheme throughout Victoria, South Australia and Northern New South Wales (Guyra). The Authority is governed by a professional Board including certified seed growers and skill-based directors.
From G0 to all generations of field grown certified seed potatoes
In addition to field potato crop certification, AuSPICA administers the accreditation and auditing of all minituber and tissue culture production facilities throughout Australia, which ensures the production of high health foundation Generation Zero (G0) seed stocks.
Quality management systems and affiliations
AuSPICA has a quality management system that is compliant to ISO9001:2015 which demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to excellence and customer focus. AuSPICA is a campaign associate of the Australian Made Campaign. AuSPICA is a member of the Australian Seed Potato Council (ASPC) and a sustaining member of the Australasian Plant Pathology Society.
State of the art traceability and document management
All AuSPICA Certified Seed is officially labelled to demonstrate compliance to the Standard of the AuSPICA Certification Scheme. For details of the Scheme go to https://www.auspica.org.au/seed-potato-certification/
All data relating to the seed potato certification is managed through a bespoke, cloud-based software program called CertMaster. This includes all inspection report, laboratory testing results.
Strong phytosanitary data to support trade
All certified seed potato under the AuSPICA Scheme is produced in fields that have mandatory laboratory testing for Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN). This testing provides supporting evidence to confirm that PCN is known not to occur in fields used for certified seed production. In addition, all certified seed potato crops must be sampled, and laboratory tested for Potato Virus Y (PVY), in addition to meeting all other tolerances for certification.
AuSPICA conducts ongoing surveillance for the viroid PSTVd. This provides data to support evidence that PSTVd is known not to occur in all certified seed potatoes. This surveillance includes laboratory testing of leaves collected from selected seed crops.
High quality staff
AuSPICA has a professional team of highly qualified experts and support staff which provide the services of seed certification.
For further information:
AuSPICA
Private Mail Bag 1, Healesville 3777
Phone: (03) 5962 0000 • Fax: (03) 5962 9045
Email: auspica@auspica.org.au
Website: www.auspica.org.au
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