A Hawke’s Bay packhouse has had its right to inspect fruit for export suspended following an investigation by police and New Zealand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).
The Hawke’s Bay Today reported police executed a search warrant last Wednesday as part of the investigation on the Matipou Export Ltd packhouse, which reportedly produces some 250,000 cartons (18kg) of class 1 apples.
MAF spokesperson Greg Keys said the company’s approval status to export fruit was suspended as a result of the search.
The MAF-granted approval status allowed the packhouse to designate fruit as “passed for export”. It was then entitled to apply to MAF for phytosanitary certificates for passed fruit.
To obtain approval status a packhouse must meet export certification system standards, which include; organisation requirements, phytosanitary inspection, export documentation and meeting importing countries’ phytosanitary requirements, the Hawke’s Bay Today reported.
“The suspension has occurred in this case because MAF identified non-compliances with the above standards,” said Keys.
Fruit processed at the packhouse would now have to be inspected by an independent agency before MAF would issue export phytosanitary certification.
“In effect the packhouse has lost the right to inspect its own fruit and now has to employ the services of an independent agency to do this,” Keys added.
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