R56m project addresses SA food standard deficiencies

Funded by the British Government, the “Southern African Regional Standards Programme” is designed to address constraints experienced by agricultural producers and food processors in gaining market access due to stringent product standard requirements.

EuropGAP, HACCP, organic certification, Fairtrade, minimum residue levels and codex requirements are examples of the types of standards increasingly demanded by the EU countries and their supermarket chains.

Addressing infrastructural constraints is one component of the programme. Setting up laboratories, training government personnel and identifying legislative gaps are the kind of activities that will be funded over the next four years.

Also part of the standards programme is the Supermarkets Innovation Fund. This sector is open to producer groups, private firms, industry associations and agencies active in the agriculture and food processing sectors facing specific certification or agricultural standards issues preventing them from supplying regional and international markets.

It is these fund sector issues that will be addressed at an Agribusiness Development conference and technical workshops running concurrently with the FoodTech Africa exhibition at Gallagher Estate, Midrand, July 15 – 17 2007. For further details email Lineke Fleischer on .

For more on the Africa Big 7 retail trade expo or to book online (trade only), go to www.exhibitionsafrica.com/2007/exhib_2007_big_seven_main.asp.