Workshop on improving safety and quality of fruits, veggies

The ongoing WTO/ITC/CCC project on ‘Improving the Safety and Quality of Sri Lankan Fruits and Vegetables’ will conduct a two-day workshop on 13-14 March in Colombo.
The workshop targets food and drug inspectors, exporters, processors and other relevant stakeholders such as staff and officials who work on issues related to quality and food safety of fruits and vegetables.
The workshop aims to build awareness and ability to meet Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS); to enhance capacity to better perform participants’ duties within their institutions/organisations and also understand EU requirements and challenges to comply with the requirements and identify a way forward for compliance.
The event will see both local and international experts making presentations under several topics, such as Post harvest handling, International Phytosanitary measures relevant for export of fresh fruits and vegetables, implementation of food safety in Sri Lanka, local pesticide legislation and certification of export fresh fruits and vegetables in Sri Lanka etc.
Hubertus Stoetzer, an international expert on SPS-Gap-Post harvest handling, Yahajeewa De Silva, national consultant on phytosanitary, Dr. K.H. Sarananda, an expert on post harvest handling and GAP, Ludovica Ghizzoni, ITC Adviser on Export Quality Management and the National Manager of the project Lal de Silva will deliver presentations at this workshop.
The event will be held under the title ‘Improved Food Safety and Quality of Sri Lankan Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Domestic and Export Markets’. The WTO/ITC ongoing project is funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) and implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC), in close partnership with The Ceylon Chambers of Commerce (CCC).
The workshop will be held at Renuka City Hotel 328, Galle Road Colombo 3. About 75 to 100 participants are expected to attend the workshop, representing both the public and private sectors.  Officials of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Export Development Board, Sri Lanka Standards Institution and Industrial Technology Institution will also take part in the workshop. Information on the WTO/ITC/CCC project: www.spssrilanka.lk.