dyton mupawaenda
Ashton Mutyavaviri
LOCAL consultancy firm, Bolton Compliance Consultancy Group has heeded Government’s call for the private sector to participate in the agricultural production process by offering consultancy and training services to improve quality and safety standards of agricultural products, promote sustainable production practices and enhance market access for producers.
Bolton Compliance Consultancy Group is a DNV agency representative that offers services in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique on certification of specific food standards for which DNV is accredited.
In an interview yesterday, Bolton Compliance Consultancy Group, regulations and compliance consultant Mr Bolton Kudzai Kakava said they were assisting farmers with compliance training in certification schemes in the food and agriculture sector and giving them Global GAP certificates that will help them access foreign markets.
“Global GAP certification opens valuable new markets to large and small-scale producers alike and helps satisfy advanced food safety and sustainability. These days our foreign markets from Europe and China require produce with certificates. They have realised the need to protect the environment, safety of employees, quality and safety of food for human consumption,” he said.
If those buyers see the certificates they will guarantee that the food is safe, not tainted with abuse of workers and free from pesticides and different chemicals used during production.
The Global GAP certificates will help farmers in terms of prices. Those with certificates will sell at higher prices, as their produce will be considered risk free or safe for human consumption. This also brings foreign currency direct into the country and improve the gross domestic product (GDP).
Certification schemes play a crucial role in ensuring that agricultural products meet international standards, thereby facilitating trade and improving the competitiveness of local industries. They cover various aspects that include food safety, organic farming, sustainable practices, and fair trade. Compliance with these schemes has become increasingly important for Zimbabwean farmers and agribusinesses seeking to access global markets.
Moreover, these consulting firms also offer training programmes to educate farmers and producers on best practices related to food safety, sustainable farming techniques, and quality assurance. These training sessions equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to implement and maintain compliance with certification standards.
“By bolstering compliance, these services are helping to enhance the reputation of the country’s agricultural products, expand market opportunities, and drive sustainable development in the sector.”
Mr Kakava said farmers are being be trained and registered, adding that after registration they will keep the records, assess policies and procedures from production up to harvesting.
“Prior to harvesting farmers should communicate with those who certified them for auditing. If everything is well after auditing, farmers will be issued a certificate of compliance after 28 days. The certificate will have a date of certification, logo of Global GAP certifier, the certified crop and GAP version,” said Mr Kakava.
He added that farmers can register as individuals (initial self -assessment) or cooperatives (multified approach). In the multified approach they will be forced to use what is called quality management system. Quality management is when all members of the cooperative are doing a similar thing in their production. Members will be given a certificate as a group in which they will be owning themselves,” he explained.
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