Bangkok--18 Aug--Francom Asia
The European Union (EU) is providing a technical assistance to improve Thailand's certification and control systems to ensure safety and quality of Thai fruit and vegetable exports to the EU. The technical assistance is taking place through a series of seminars for relevant Thai officials and businesses from July to September 2011.
The first series of seminars focus on plant health. The trainings aim at enhancing knowledge of Thai officials on EU plant health legislation, import control, inspection and certification as well as pre and post harvest pest control.
Ambassador David Lipman, Head of the EU Delegation to Thailand said "Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures are important in the EU. Effective control systems for exported plants and plant products must be put in place to prevent microbiological contamination, pesticide residues and harmful organisms in the plant products. The workshop will provide technical assistance in various stages- from farms to the point of export-, to ensure safety and quality of Thai plant products intended to be exported to the EU. We hope that this assistance will help strengthen export control and certification systems in Thailand, allowing the country to continue exporting safe and quality fruit and vegetables to the EU."
"Today, the overall agricultural sector plays a vital role in the Thai economy and society, as more than half of the population derives some or all of their income from the agriculture sector. It is important for us to do whatever we can to upgrade the products we produce for export so we can meet the strict requirements of the EU countries," added Ms. Phawanat Bunnag, Director of Quality Control Systems for Plant Product Group, Plan Standard and Certification Office, said:
The second series of seminars stress on safety and quality standards of the plant products. This includes trainings on HACCP and GMP for pack-house operators and officials as well as the use and control of pesticide in order to reduce risks of microbiological contamination and pesticide residues in the exported products.
The last series of seminars aim at improving analytical skills of officials in the Department of Agriculture's laboratory. This is to ensure that the Thai official laboratory has capability to check pesticide residues in accordance with the EU requirements. This will lead consumers both domestic and in the EU to trust the quality of fruit and vegetables from Thailand.
Thailand is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of agricultural commodities, with a well developed processed food sector. Its exports of plant and plant products to the EU in 2010 totalled at over 16.5 billion baht (over 412 million euros).
Photo caption:
(From left to right) Ms. Phawanat Bunnag, Director of Quality Control Systems for Plant Product Group, Plan Standard and Certification Office, Ms. Sylvie Mialet, Ph. D., Expert, HACCP workshop, Mr. George Fuller, Ph. D., Coordinator of Project and Pesticide Expert and Mr. Thongchai Voravongsakul, Director, Plant Inspection System Services, Department of Agriculture, posed together for a group photo at a recent seminar under the topic of Improving Control Systems in Thailand for Plants and Plant Products Intended for Export to the European Union.