The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) approves logistics companies, exporters, and produce packhouses with suitably qualified staff to carry out pre-export phytosanitary services. It does so at its discretion. After these organisations have carried out the pre-export phytosanitary services correctly, a phytosanitary certificate for consignment is issued. MPI calls these organisations Ministry Approved Organisations (MAO).
To become an MAO, you have to write an Operating System that meets the Plant Export Requirements. An IVA, such as The AgriChain Centre, evaluates your Operating System. When we are satisfied that your organisation meets MPI requirements to function as an MAO, we recommend appointment.
As your IVA, we would regularly need to audit your MAO operating systems.
You need to meet certain conditions to become an MAO. You can find these on the MPI website; the Plant Export Certification Standards.
You will find the MPI Certification Standard: Organisation Requirements particularly interesting, because the Standard addresses all the common requirements and questions.
This Standard also includes topics such as the Application for Approval as an MAO, the Roles and Responsibilities as an MAO, the process of MPI approval of Organisations and Trace-backs and Investigations.
Organisation Transfer to another IVA is also described in the Standard, because you can transfer to another IVA.
MPI provides a list of IVAs on its website.
To start the transfer of your MAO to The AgriChain Centre, as your new IVA, please read that section of the Standard and give us a call. We are always happy to hear from you.
For more information, or to discuss your requirements, please contact us, or freephone 0800 24 74 24.
