ARGA Fresh Berryfruit Produce Barcodes
Current financial members of the Association are able to take up the opportunity to use EAN-13 digit barcodes that have been registered by the ARGA for fresh berry punnets. Barcodes are available to all financial members of ARGA. Usage is subject to agreement to abide by the terms set by the Association, and through the adoption of the accompanying protocol – Guidelines for Quality Standards for Harvesting and Post-Harvest Handling of First Class Fresh Fruit in Punnets.
The barcodes cover the majority of berry varieties (other than blueberries and strawberries), industry standard punnet sizes (ie commonly 150g) for both Rubus (raspberry, blackberry and hybrids) and Ribes (currants and gooseberries) fruit. Specialty berry varieties or combinations, or non-standard punnet packs, have also been included. Any member registered as a barcode user (through the payment of the annual membership fee) may request that the Association additionally register a barcode for any new purpose that they want, to be available for use by all interested registered users.
The barcodes are not intended for process-grade or bulk fruit, nor does the Association intend to extend its collective or generic registration to cover processed Rubus fruit products, for which individual registration by the manufacturer is the appropriate course of action.
The Association has an agreement with a commercial printer – Compass Labels P/L – for the production of generic labels that utilize the barcodes with the ARGA berry logo as a common brand, in addition to a plain statement of grower identification. Growers may elect to use the barcodes with their own brand or logo, but must, in those cases, include reference to membership of ARGA in proximity to the barcode. Labels are not produced by the Association, but are ordered from the printer(s) directly by users. Large retail chains prefer common barcodes across industry product categories where supply is diverse, to facilitate sales tracking without getting bogged down with which grower supplied this week or next, or between stores.
Enquiries by growers interested in utilizing this facility should be directed to the Secretary.
Email: secretary@arga.com.au.
Barcode Conditions of Use
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Only current financial members of the ARGA are entitled to use barcodes registered by the ARGA and ARGA logo.
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Packers of any group of growers may use the barcodes, conditional upon the following;
i) that the packer pays the requisite Membership fee to the ARGA, and
ii) that all growers of Rubus and/or Ribes fruit supplying the registered packer are currently financial members of the ARGA themselves, and have each paid the annual Membership fee;
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Unauthorised use of other label manufacturers jeopardises the ongoing operations of the ARGA.
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Unauthorised use of other manufacturers may lead to action being taken against these members to expel or discipline such members. In addition, the ARGA reserves to itself the right to take legal action against members for the amount of marketing levy forgone or any other loss suffered by ARGA.
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Payment of the annual Membership fee of $150 gives the right to use ARGA’s barcoded labels for 2007-2008 growing year and not afterwards. Any member using these barcoded labels after this growing year will incur a further annual fee regardless of whether or not that member orders barcoded labels in the next year or subsequent growing years.
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The barcodes remain the sole property of the ARGA and will not be subjected to any misuse, misinterpretation or inappropriate action by the user.
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The barcodes are not transferable by the member user or any other party.
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The barcodes are to be used in conjunction with the “Code of Practice” as provided by the ARGA.
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Variations from the standard label and/or die may be used, conditional upon the following:
i) that growers or packers wishing to use their own label or logo in conjunction with the ARGA barcode, must incorporate the barcode and the words “Member of Australian Rubus Growers Association Inc.”, or “Member of ARGA” as one unit, with the barcode of the existing size, and the words of a legible size.
ii) that the ARGA logo, if used, must not be altered in form;
iii) that no use of the ARGA barcode may be made without reference to Australian Rubus Growers Association Inc. or ARGA.
These variations allow alteration to the existing label, based on substitution of other logos for the ARGA logo in its site, and the Association name in the site of grower details, or for more substantial changes including shape. There will be costing changes to these variations of the label.
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