New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has accredited freight forwarder FPS New Zealand to handle and transport imports and exports of dairy and non-dairy products for human and animal consumption.
All primary processors of animal material and products for human or animal consumption in New Zealand are required to operate under an MPI-approved and independently-verified Risk Management Programme (RMP). This applies to every element of the supply chain, including freight forwarders.
FPS New Zealand - a founder member of the FPS Group network of independent forwarders and consolidators - has become one of a select few freight forwarders in the country to undergo and pass the rigorous processes required to attain MPI-accredited status. As a result, it no longer has to co-load through an MPI-approved freight forwarder for shipments of a wide variety of animal and dairy commodities such as infant formula, honey and health supplements.
Achieving MPI accreditation entails a stringent programme covering the cleanliness of all buildings and equipment, the approval of any cleaning substances used, the maintenance of 100% accurate inventory control and traceability records, and the comprehensive training of all staff involved with dairy and animal products. MPI then undertakes frequent monitoring visits to ensure that the RMP and all associated procedures continue to deliver product that is fit for purpose.
Explains FPS New Zealand General Manager Dev Dhanjee: "New Zealand has a world class reputation for environmental care and scrupulous hygiene. Agriculture is the largest sector of our trading economy, and there is huge demand for our food products throughout the Asia Pacific region. This demand continues to grow.
"To achieve MPI accreditation required considerable investment in time, money and resources. This is ongoing, as we are regularly audited to ensure we maintain the required procedures and standards."
He concludes: "But the investment is well worthwhile. With MPI accreditation, we have a huge new potential market, both in commodities we can handle and geographic areas we can cover. Apart from New Zealand, our main target is China and we are also now looking at Europe and the USA."
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