Apply by Mail:

1. To Request for Organic Exemption for Blueberries, the applicant has to approach the UNITED STATES Department of Agriculture link
2. An application form will be provided to the applicant by the concerned officer. or it can be downloaded from the following link
3. The applicant has to fill in all the necessary details in the application form. (Incomplete applications are not accepted)
4. Make sure that the applicant has attached all the necessary documents that are mentioned in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
5. The applicant has to attach the photocopies of the required documents along with the application form while submitting.
6. Submit all the documents with the completed form to the concerned office mailing address.
7. The mailing address is mentioned in the “Office Locations & Contacts” section of this page.
8. Also, importers/producers may submit paperwork to the Board and request an exemption from assessment on certified "organic" or "100 percent organic" Hass avocados on an Organic Exemption Request Form at any time during the year, as long as the importer/producer remains eligible.
9. There is no fee for Requesting Organic Exemption for Blueberries.
10. After receiving the application, the concerned authority will check the submitted application and document set. If all are in place, the application will be accepted.
11. Then the application will be processed further. All the updates on the application status will be sent via SMS to the applicant’s mobile number.
12. If required, the officer will come for a site inspection.
13. Once the process gets completed, the applicant gets the permit through the mail.
14. This entire process can be completed within 30 days or as per the timeline advised by the respective department authority.

• Application form link
• Certification that the applicant has a valid certificate of certified organic production given under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 USC 6501-6522) (OFPA) or a US equivalency agreement for Hass avocados established under the NOP.
• Importer license
• Trade license
• Under the OFPA and the NOP, the applicant must attach a copy of their certificate of organic operation issued by a USDA-accredited certifying agent.

UNITED STATES Department of Agriculture
U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
81 Blue Ravine Rd., Suite 110
Folsom, California 95630
Phone (916) 983-0111
Email: assessments@blueberry.org
contact link
Regional link

• Any blueberry importer/exporter who intends to Request Organic Exemption for Blueberries is eligible to make this application.

• There is no fee for Requesting Organic Exemption for Blueberries.

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

• Application form link

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

• This entire process can be completed within 30 days or as per the timeline advised by the respective department authority.

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

• Applicant must complete the application form before submitting. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Applicant must provide genuine information while applying for this procedure.

• Type of Operation
• Applicant’s First and Last Name
• CompanyName
• StreetAddress
• City/State/Zipcode
• Phone
• Fax
• E-mail
• Importer
• Tax ID

• The goal of the programme is to improve the blueberry industry's market position.
• The programme is administered by the United States Highbush Blueberry Council, which is made up of blueberry industry members who are nominated by their peers and appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture.

For more information link

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

Link

• The OFPA requires a copy of this company's organic farm or organic handling operation certificate and amendment given by a USDA-accredited certifying agent.
• Importers must include a copy of the eligible product's certificate or equivalence agreement, as defined by NOP.