The application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in the production of vegetables and fruits has been in force since this Friday (23.11.2018), after being incorporated into the Argentine Food Code (CAA).
This is what the Joint Resolution 5/2018, published in the Official Gazette, whose purpose is to guide various procedures towards the environmental, economic and social sustainability of fruit and vegetable establishments for the quality and safety of the food they produce. And in this way, they are incorporated into Chapter III of CAA "General Food Standards", under Article 154 tris.
Food safety
«The mandatory inclusion of GAP in our Food Code aims to ensure food safety, complying with certain basic principles by producers that allow greater certainty to be given to consumers regarding the origin and quality of the products they purchase," said the Secretary of Food and Bioeconomy, Andrés Murchison, in this regard.
Competitiveness
«It is a tool that will improve management, promote health and commercial formality and, consequently, the competitiveness of the sector."We will also be supporting producers, particularly the smallest ones and family productions, with technical assistance and ongoing training," added the national director of Food and Beverages, Mercedes Nimo.
Producers
This regulation affects almost 400.000 fruit and vegetable producers which exploit an area of approximately 1.000.000 hectares and produce between 16 and 18 million tons annually and nearly 2.800 billion dollars in exports, the figure does not include potatoes or legumes.
Term
The deadline for producers of fruit sector It is until January 2, 2020 (2 years) and the horticultural sector until January 4 2021 (3 years).
Technical support
The country's producers have access to technical support Through the Secretariat of Food and Bioeconomy and the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, they work together with Senasa, INTA, provincial governments and involved actors to develop in the territory all the tools that allow achieving the implementation objectives.
National agencies have already started work to generate trainers through a virtual platform for professionals and technicians, who will work with fruit and vegetable producers throughout the country, for the adoption of sustainable production systems with a view to promoting the safety of fruits and vegetables that are consumed fresh, and the preservation and rational management of resources.
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