Pascagoula, Miss. — Mississippi Phosphates Corp. said Feb. 2 that it has completed the storage and handling upgrades necessary to be certified an Australia Quarantine Inspection Services (AQIS) Level 1 facility. Miss Phos says it becomes one of only three phosphate producers in the Western Hemisphere to reach the AQIS Level 1. AQIS is responsible for reducing the risk of potentially harmful exotic pests or diseases entering the country. To assist the fertilizer industry in complying with Australia’s strict import requirements, AQIS and the Fertilizer Industry Federation of Australia (FIFA) have developed a set of standards that will streamline quarantine inspection processes and requirements. To achieve Level 1, companies must implement AQIS-recognized contamination management strategies across their supply chain, from the point of manufacture through, to, and including, the vessel’s voyage. The benefits for achieving the Level 1 standard include minimal intervention by AQIS at the border and upon arrival – the cargo hold does not need to be inspected, therefore the discharge of goods can commence at any time of the day or night. Miss Phos says with the ever growing demand for phosphates throughout the world, this facility upgrade opens up yet another market for its products.
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