Quality & food safety
We would rather lose a sale than send the wrong grade
Quality control in agricultural trade is mostly discipline: check the goods, write the specification down, and refuse consignments that fall short.
Our approach
Agricultural goods vary. Two loads from neighbouring fields can differ in moisture, broken content and foreign matter. The only workable response is to inspect every consignment rather than trust a description, and to write down exactly what a buyer has agreed to receive.
Where a buyer's market imposes requirements — phytosanitary certification, origin documentation, specific marking — we treat those as part of the specification, not an afterthought at the port.
Where a consignment cannot be brought up to the agreed grade, we tell the buyer before shipping rather than after. This occasionally costs us an order. It has never cost us a customer.
Documentation we prepare
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Certificate of origin
- Phytosanitary certificate (where required)
- Weight and quality certificates from inspection bodies on request
- Fumigation certificate on request
- Animal movement and health documentation for live animals
Requirements vary by destination and product. Confirm with us at enquiry stage which documents your market needs.
Control points
What is checked, and when
Four stages, each with checks that must pass before goods move to the next.
At purchase
- Physical sample drawn and assessed before a price is agreed
- Moisture content measured on arrival and rejected outside tolerance
- Visual assessment for damage, foreign matter and infestation
In processing
- Cleaning and grading to the agreed specification
- Drying where moisture exceeds the storage threshold
- Segregation of lots so grades are not mixed
In storage
- Storage conditions matched to product and shelf life
- Stock rotation so older lots move first
- Periodic re-checks on long-held consignments
Before dispatch
- Final check against the buyer's written specification
- Packaging, marking and labelling verified
- Documentation assembled for the destination market
Certification and third-party inspection
Where a buyer requires independent verification, we arrange third-party inspection at loading — weight, quality and condition certified by an agreed inspection body, at the buyer's instruction.
Certifications held by our processing partners vary by facility and product. Rather than publish a general claim, we confirm the applicable certifications for your specific product and volume at quotation stage.
Tell us the specification. We will tell you what we can deliver.
Send your product, volume, packaging and destination requirements and our trade team will come back with availability and indicative pricing.