Tags: Agribusiness, Consumer Goods and Concerns
By Anna Valmero
DAVAO CITY, DAVAO DEL SUR—A Cavendish banana exporter here was awarded the Philippine Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP) certification for meeting high quality standards of food safety in its operations.
The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Products Standards (BAFPS) of the Department of Agriculture awarded the certification to Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. (Tadeco) after verifying its compliance to food safety standards.
DA BAFPS enforces standards of quality in the processing of agricultural products.
The PhilGAP standards are primarily designed to assure consumers about how food is produced on the farm, said DA-BAFPS director Angelina Bondad.
Reagan Navarro, Tadeco quality management system manage, said that ensuring food safety has been one of the priorities of Tadeco “in order to become competitive in the global market.”
According to this study citing data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, Cavendish bananas accounted for the total 9.1 million tons of banana produced in 2010, making the variety the most important crop exports of the Philippines.
The company is the first producer and exporter of Cavendish bananas to acquire PhilGAP certification in the country, Navarro claimed.
“That is why it invested considerable economic resources in food safety protocol to ensure that the produce items have met the highest quality standard,” she stated.
Aside from assuring food safety, the certification sets requirements to minimize environmental impact caused by farming operations, and ensure a responsible approach to workers’ health, safety, welfare and hygiene.
Among the several programs that Tadeco established related to food safety is the installation and enhancement of facilities for workers health, safety and hygiene. The management andworkers alsoinked an agreement for good labor relations, said Navarro.
Programs and policies for environmental protection have also been established, documented, implemented and maintained, said Navarro.
Last year, DA-BAFPS held visits and inspections at Tadeco’s packing houses, warehouses and field operations to check on the firm’s compliance to PhilGAP and the sustainability of its programs.
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