Without the ICA's endorsement, your harvest won't cross borders: Avoid these critical mistakes
In our previous blog, we had the opportunity to discuss why certifications are keys that allow the export of crops and expand into international markets. In this second edition of our editorial on certifications for exporting farms, we will delve into the requirements that the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) demands for exports from Colombia.
In Colombia, there are many entities that ensure compliance with regulations, the adherence to rules and principles that guide the actions of all its actors, promoting safety, protection, organization, and efficiency. That is why the Colombian Agricultural Institute, known as ICA, is the entity responsible for protecting the agricultural, fishing, and aquaculture production of the country, whose main function is to prevent, control, and reduce sanitary, biological, and chemical risks that may affect animals and plants, ensuring the quality and safety of food and related products.
Among its principles and essential functions for the sustainable development of the agricultural sector in the country are:
⚕️Animal and plant health protection: Through prevention, avoiding the introduction and spread of diseases and pests that may affect national production and the country's food sovereignty.
☣️Control of agricultural inputs: Allows the regulation of imports and marketing of inputs such as animal feed, seeds, active ingredients, genetic material, etc.
📑Product certification: Responsible for issuing sanitary and phytosanitary certifications for the export of agricultural products, complying with the requirements of importing countries, regulating and controlling that exported products are free from economically significant pests and diseases.
🔬Research: Its contribution to applied research in Colombian agriculture allows for the transfer of technology and knowledge of trends and advances to the sector.
👩⚖️Advisory to the Ministry of Agriculture: Through technical knowledge and advice, it enables the formulation of agricultural development policies and plans.
🧫🪳Promotion of agricultural health: Thanks to the implementation of strategies to improve animal and plant health in the national territory, through prevention campaigns, for example, against economically significant diseases for crops such as Fusarium Race 4 Tropical in musaceae crops, or Foot-and-Mouth Disease in cattle.
🔎Product traceability: Participates in traceability systems to guarantee the origin and quality of agricultural products.
🌾Certification in Good Agricultural Practices (BPA): Allows Colombian producers to access international markets by complying with global standards such as Global G.A.P, FSMA, SMETA, etc.
Considering the important role that the ICA plays in the agricultural production of our country, we will focus on the parameters required for the certification of an exporting farm:
🌱ICA registration as an agricultural producer - BPA: Mandatory for all crops
ICA farm registration: Required for all agricultural and livestock producers, especially those engaged in the production of export vegetables. Through this registration, the ICA can know the location, plant species, and production capacity of the farms, the phytosanitary management and control activities implemented, as well as environmental protection.
Certifying a farm in BPA guarantees the safety of the harvested food, generating traceability from planting to harvest, considering the importance of the proper and safe use of inputs used for production, as well as the protection of resources and the integrity of employees.
The registration process for a farm with the ICA for agricultural producers includes resolution 0824 of 2022, which involves the following steps:
1️⃣ It starts with registration in the SISPAP (Information System for Import and Export Permits of Agricultural Products), established by the ICA for document submission: https://www.ica.gov.co/servicioslinea/sispapprincipal.aspx
Through this link, you can find the registration guide that includes the submission of the registration request.
2️⃣ Document upload of:
✅ Completed form, either for individuals or legal entities: https://www.ica.gov.co/servicioslinea/sispapprincipal/Documentos/14-FORMA-4-908-formulario-para-creacion-de-usuario.aspx
In this section, the technical assistant, producer, and/or packing facility must be registered.
✅ RUT and a copy of the citizenship ID for individuals.
✅ RUT and recent Chamber of Commerce for legal entities.
Once registered, the producer must register the production location with the technical assistant's data and comply with the Technical Manual. https://www.ica.gov.co/getattachment/Areas/Agricola/Servicios/Epidemiologia-Agricola/Registros-para-exportacion-de-vegetales/MANUALPRODUCCIONSELECCIONEMPAQUE-VEGETALESFRESCOS.pdf.aspx?lang=es-CO&utm_source=chatgpt.com. Plantains and bananas have additional requirements. Validity: up to 2 years (short cycle) or 5 years (medium cycle).
3️⃣ Document review: Once the requested information is uploaded to the ICA, all documentation will be reviewed and validated to ensure compliance with the established requirements.
4️⃣ Audit visit: The ICA conducts audit visits to validate and verify the conditions that allow compliance with regulations.
5️⃣ Certification: Once approved and the requirements validated, the ICA grants certification to the farm.
☢️Pesticide Residue Analysis Certificate: Required by most countries.
It is a document that certifies the results of analyses performed on samples of agricultural products to determine the presence and quantity of pesticide residues.
The importance of this certificate lies in:
🥔Guaranteeing food safety: Ensures that foods do not contain pesticide levels that may be harmful to human health. These are characterized by Maximum Residue Limits (MRL), defined as the maximum level of pesticide residues legally allowed in food, both inside and on the surface, by correctly applying good agricultural practices, regulated by international organizations such as the UN, FAO, and WHO through the Codex Alimentarius. https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/es/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXM%2B2%252FMRL2e.pdf
🪲Phytosanitary Certificate (CF): Certifies that plant products or goods of plant origin meet the phytosanitary requirements demanded by importing countries; through this type of certificate, the necessary safety is guaranteed to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests and diseases that could cause economic and environmental damage.
This certificate is issued to those who have their farms registered with the ICA in the following manner:
1️⃣ Registration of the customs agency as an exporting agency, this is done to have a user and password in the SISPAP since this agent guarantees to the DIAN the exit from the country and has the figure of customs declarant. (This step is very important because without it, the ICA does not issue the certificate if there is no authorized declarant)
2️⃣ Fill out the preliminary phytosanitary certificate request in the SISPAP system.
3️⃣ Make the corresponding payment for the phytosanitary inspection of the goods.
4️⃣ The goods must be presented for physical and documentary inspection at the point of exit. The ICA verifies that the established phytosanitary requirements for the destination country are met.
5️⃣ If the inspection is approved by the ICA, it will issue the corresponding phytosanitary certificate.
This entire process is carried out once the product/goods are packed before international shipment; the ICA defines the inspection location, which can be: the producer's farm if authorized, the registered packing facility, or the port/airport)
✅Permit for the Use of Agrochemicals Registered with the ICA: This is not a specific document but is part of the requirements that an agricultural farm registered with the ICA for export must meet, where it is required to use exclusively phytosanitary products (pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc.) that are registered and authorized by the ICA.
According to resolution 0824 of 2022, it must be guaranteed and demonstrated that:
✔️Only agrochemicals registered with the ICA are used. https://www.ica.gov.co/getattachment/Areas/Agricola/Servicios/Regulacion-y-Control-de-Plaguicidas-Quimicos/PUBLICACION-BD_RN-RF-4.pdf.aspx?lang=es-CO
✔️Detailed records of their use are kept (product, date, dose, lot, operator).
✔️They are applied according to technical criteria and with environmental responsibility.
✔️Export certifications: importing countries require that pesticide residues do not exceed the MRL, which is only guaranteed if authorized agrochemicals are used.
Considering the above, it is essential to follow the regulations required by the control entities; this will avoid losses and reprocessing in the supply chain for exporting agricultural products abroad.
It is very important to closely monitor, document, and process all the information required by the ICA; this is the first step to export.
✔️In the next issue of our Newsletter, we will address the importance of Global G.A.P. Certification and its influence on conquering international markets.
Information taken from: Resolution 0824 of 2022, Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA).