Agribusiness Support Fund (ASF) under the USAID's Agribusiness Project has taken a lead in promoting GlobalGAP in Pakistan by constituting a Value Chain Platform (VCP) called 'National Technical Working Group (NTWG) under sub-scope 'Fruits & Vegetables'.
The VCP will work in close co-operation with the GlobalGAP Secretariat and the GlobalGAP Committees and will support as well as facilitate the GlobalGAP implementation and continuous improvement based on the specific interest area needs. NTWG is a platform to harmonise certification and scope of activities within the region. For the GlobalGAP Secretariat the NTWG will be the direct link in the country and the first contact point.
In Pakistan, the NTWG includes stakeholders representing certification bodies, growers, processors, exporters, government agencies, researchers and academia. ASF being the only Pakistani company registered as GlobalGAP member and the officially approved host of NTWG-Pakistan, organised the first meeting at its office in Lahore, says a press release issued on Tuesday.
Members of the NTWG unanimously elected Saeed Bhombal as the first Chairman of the body. During the meeting, as a major step to facilitate local stakeholders, it was unanimously agreed by the NTWG members to translate GlobalGAP standards into Urdu language and also develop National Interpretation Guidelines for submission to GlobalGAP Secretariat. ASF played a pioneering role in the introduction of GlobalGAP in Pakistan five years back. The company extended financial and technical support to a number of growers and exporters of citrus and mango for acquisition of GlobalGAP certification.
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