The History of Phytosanitary / Endpoint Inspections
Phytosanitary / Endpoint inspections are in most exporting countries conducted by Government employed inspectors. In New Zealand, MPI’s predecessor, the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry (MAF) traditionally inspected export produce.
In the 1990s, MAF Inspectors stopped inspecting New Zealand export produce. Instead, produce exports started being inspected by MAF authorised qualified service providers. These organisations can either be Independent Verification Agencies (IVAs) or Ministry Approved Organisations (MAOs).
Since the initial introduction of IVAs, MAF has become MPI. Other changes have also happened. An MAO can be an independent entity offering phytosanitary services, a packhouse, an export company, or a logistics provider. An MAO needs to have staff qualified to assess the phytosanitary conditions of produce.
We can best describe the interaction between MAO, IVA and MPI in this way: