The Federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Service was started in 1917, but its authority was restricted to work in destination markets where the inspections were only made by Federal Market Inspectors. In 1922, Congress extended the service to shipping points by adding to the authority the words, “when offered for interstate shipment,” and so began Idaho’s Bureau of Shipping Point Inspection. This service is a joint federal-state program entirely supported by fees collected from users of the service.

This bureau maintains a Boise headquarters staff along with four district offices strategically located in Idaho’s production areas. Present locations are: Caldwell, Burley, Blackfoot, and Idaho Falls. The bureau is the largest within the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), serving producers, shippers and processors in 36 of the state’s 44 counties. Annually, the bureau performs inspections on 10 different commodities and certifies over 13 billion pounds of produce. To provide this service, the bureau supports a staff of 475 employees in 17 different job classifications. Although some positions are staffed year-round, 75 percent of the workforce is employed in seasonal, part-time positions.

Employees of the Shipping Point Inspection program inspect commodities for quality and condition at the shipping point, using official grade standards developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and ISDA for fresh fruits and vegetables. The Bureau of Shipping Point Inspection established a third party auditing program that helps Idaho producers and shippers meet the increasing demand for Good Management Practices (GMPs), Good Handling Practices (GHPs), and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). The bureau conducts ranch (field), harvest crew, packinghouse, and educational (walk-through) food safety audits on fruits and vegetables for both the fresh pack and processing industry.

The Dealers in Farm Produce Act spent its last year as part of this bureau’s responsibilities. Those subject to licensing and bonding under this law are buyers, brokers and commission merchants who deal in potatoes, hay, onions, and other commodities not covered under the bonded warehouse or commodity dealer laws.

Recent Achievements

• Continued adding customers to our Customer Assisted Inspection Program, which allows shippers and packers to be involved in the certification process resulting in a 50 percent cost reduction in inspection fees.
• In cooperation with USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service, developed a customer driven Federal-State Audit Verification and Training program for good agricultural and handling practices resulting in increased marketing opportunities for Idaho’s fresh fruit and vegetable industry.
• Reduced contract inspection costs to processors and producers by 15 percent.
• Issued phytosanitary inspection certificates on loads of fruit and vegetables certified and shipped to 18 different countries.
• Established a chemical maturity monitoring testing station to control sucrose and glucose content levels in potato tubers during the growing and development stages and during storage life.
• Conducted over 100 third party, food safety audits this fiscal year.

Future Goals

• Continue to improve communication between office, field staff, and industry through computer technology.
• Relocate our Caldwell district office to Parma, making it more centrally located for industry.
• Expand technology and use with respect to electronic grading equipment and internal disorders in potatoes.
• Provide industry with services requested in a timely manner and at a cost-effective rate.
• Maintain up-to-date information on all aspects of food safety and food security.
• Develop more precise information gathering and tracking practices through the timesheet entry program.
• Rewrite the Shipping Point Inspection computer program to keep up with technology, requests for electronic communication, and quicker results.
• Work with USDA to secure auditor licenses allowing our USDA GAP/GHP audit trained staff to conduct USDA audits.

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