Govt to issue GAPs guideline

KATHMANDU:

In bid to protect consumers as well as to boost export of agro products, the government is going to initiate Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in the country, which would eventually cover all crops. The government is doing the groundwork to bring the guideline for GAPs based on the guiding principle of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

The committee led by secretary of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) is involved in developing the guideline for GAPs, as per Uday Chandra Thakur, spokesperson for MoAD.

“We are planning to begin the GAPs in horticulture sector from next fiscal 2015-16, and gradually enforce it on each agriculture product in different phases.”

The technical team formed under the leadership of MoAD Joint Secretary Dinesh Parajuli has been asked to develop GAPs for each individual crop and the technical committee is directed by the

MoAD secretary-led steering committee.

MoAD has been planning to boost export of agricultural products through GAPs because such products enjoy preferential market access in the export destinations. Currently, exporters of agriculture products have been facing various hassles due to quality concerns being raised by the importing countries.

On the other hand, GAPs are essential to protect the local consumers as well, according to Thakur.

Citing pesticide residue monitoring (in fruits and vegetable) initiation of the government to control the rampant use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and other harmful chemicals in food products, Thakur

said that enforcement of GAPs alone could be the solution to protect the consumers from consuming such food items that are hazardous to health.

In recent times, farmers have been using excessive amount of pesticides, chemical fertilisers and other inedible chemicals in perishable agro outputs to extend their shelf life. However, such measures not only affect human health, excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides gradually degrade the soil and environment as well.GAPs will address both food safety and food security.

GAPs are a set of principles, regulations and technical recommendations applicable to production, processing and food transport, addressing human health care, environment protection and improvement of worker conditions and their families, as per FAO’s definition.

FAO has recommended similar guiding principles for Nepal, Bhutan, Bangla-desh and Myanmar, as per Thakur. The government will extend incentive for farmers to adopt GAPs that the MoAD is going to enforce from horticulture from next fiscal.

Source: THT