9 Must-Know Things When Shipping Agricultural Products
Shipping commodities from wherever you’re to several parts of the globe comes with lots of perks, conditions, and guidelines to always adhere to confirm you have got a smooth operation.
Whether you’re exporting solid minerals, agricultural produce, or petroleum products, there are standards you want to adhere to it will ensure everything goes right with the shipment, and intrinsically, you want to follow a group of laid down best practices from start to complete.
But while shipping minerals and petroleum products may be done easier, handling agricultural products must include even greater care as a little mistake could ruin the complete consignment before it reaches the delivery destination.
If you currently ship or decide to ship food-based products, aside from tracking post and shipment, here are 9 important belongings you must know when shipping agricultural products.
1). The Moisture Must Be Below 10%
High moisture levels are one of the fastest ways to ruin agricultural products. When the moisture levels of most agro commodities are above 10%, their qualities start to deteriorate quickly, and per se, the complete consignment could get spoilt within 2 to three weeks, causing the importer and/or exporter to lose their entire investments.
Before you export any agricultural product, make sure the goods are well dried which the moisture content is under 10% or you’re risking the complete commodities getting spoilt before arrival at the delivery port.
2). You Need To Fumigate The Shipping Container
Insects destroy and thrive within the presence of most agricultural products. They see it as a bountiful meal and then would reproduce and consume the maximum amount as possible of the products as they possibly can if left unattended.
Before you ship any agricultural consignment, make sure the container is fumigated with a fumigation gel, which the gel is aloof from the container after a maximum of three days of sealing the container.
3). The Agreed Specifications Must Match The Chemical Compositions
When an agreement for the provision of agricultural produce is effected by an importer and an exporter, a group of quality specifications is usually specified, and looking at what the importer plans to use the products for, some chemical specifications would be agreed on.
If you’re shipping agricultural products supported by an agreed set of chemical compositions, it’s important that you just make sure the goods you’re shipping match the specifications, else, you ought to simply just comply with a physical inspection.
4). You Want To Use The Proper Packaging Method For The Product
Various agro commodities require various packaging standards. Some require they’re packed in cans, others in jute bags, some in mesh bags, and therefore the overwhelming majority in PPE bags.
Understanding the standard of products you’re shipping and also the packaging standards that are required is vital to making sure you do not damage the products with the way they’re packaged and to make sure you furthermore might meet the packaging standards of the country you’re shipping to.
ALSO READ: 4 Reasons Why Organic Farm Food Complements Naturopathy
5). The Products Must Be Transported Within The Right Shipping Container
Depending on whether you’re shipping fresh foods or dry foods, you would like to stuff the commodities within the right form of a shipping container.
If you’re shipping fresh agricultural products, you’d load the products during a reefer container. This container is sort of a freezer and cools the products all the way until it gets to its destination, although it’s much more expensive to use.
6). The Food Regulations Of The Country You’re Shipping To Must Be Understood
Every nation adheres to some form of food regulations. Usually, European countries all adhere to identical rules, but each country could have varying differences in other conditions.
In the same way, countries in many parts of the planet could use identical or varying conditions to manipulate their food regulations, and per se, every exporter shipping agricultural products must know what these regulations are and must prepare the products to fulfill them or risk the cargo being seized at the destination port.
To air a secure side, ask that your importer gives you all the desired conditions he wants for the products, and make sure you sign into the contract that he’s to blame for everything that goes on at his destination port provided you’ve met all the terms you agreed to at the origin port.
7). For Exporting Agricultural Products, Get All The Documents Required
When shipping agricultural products, you’re usually required to produce a collection of documents. The foremost popular are:
- Phytosanitary Certificate
- Fumigation Certificate
- Inspection Certificate
- Veterinary Certificate (depending on the country and product)
These documents are usually required by the customs at the destination country to clear the products, and in and of itself, you want to provide them for your importer anytime you’re shipping agricultural products to them.
8). With Carton Walls, Floors, & Desiccants, Dress The Shipping Container
The floors and walls must be dressed with carton paper to avoid contamination with the contact of the products with the metal surface of the container when a container shipping agricultural produce is getting used.
Also, you want to hang desiccants, popularly referred to as dry bags, within the walls of the shipping container. What these dry bags would do is regulate the moisture absorption rate of the container and also try and reduce the moisture rate of the products within the container.
The more desiccants you persist the shipping container, the higher moisture control you’ve got for your products, and therefore the more confidence you’ve got within the quality of the products upon delivery.
9). Use An Agent Experienced In Forwarding Agricultural Products
Lastly, it’s important that you simply use an agent who is vastly experienced in handling the forwarding of agricultural products from your port of origin. This can be important to avoid problems with incomplete documentation, poor container preparation, and other negative experiences which will be caused by inexperience.
An experienced agent will ensure you’re doing everything right, will be sure of procuring all the desired tools for the shipping, and can make sure you have a seamless/fast shipping experience.
