Báo cáo Nghiên cứu khoa học Developing Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) systems for dragon fruit producers and exporters in Binh Thuan and Tien Giang provinces

1 Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development 037/04VIE Developing Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) systems for dragon fruit producers and exporters in Binh Thuan and Tien Giang provinces Milestone 8 Southern Fruit Research Institute (SOFRI) staff competent in GAP application and training June 2007 Campbell J The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand Ltd HortResearch Nelson Region PO Box 220 Motueka 7143 NEW ZEALAND DISCLAIMER Unless agreed otherwise, HortResearch does not give any prediction, warranty or assurance in relation to the accuracy of or fitness for any particular use or application of, any information or scientific or other result contained in this report. Neither HortResearch nor any of its employees shall be liable for any cost (including legal costs), claim, liability, loss, damage, injury or the like, which may be suffered or incurred as a direct or indirect result of the reliance by any person on any information contained in this report. 2 CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................... 3 1. A CADRE OF SOFRI, PPD AND OTHER PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL STAFF COMPETENT IN TRAINING AND APPLICATION OF GAP AND EUREPGAP METHODS AND PRINCIPLES ............................................................................................... 3 Situation at the start of the project ......................................................................................... 3 Training programme............................................................................................................... 3 Current capability ................................................................................................................... 5 2. STAFF OF PPD AND EXTENSION STAFF IN BINH THUAN EVALUATED AS TO THEIR AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF GAP AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR APPLICATION BY SMALLHOLDERS .................................................................................. 6 Attempts for involvement....................................................................................................... 6 Ongoing level of activity and understanding ......................................................................... 6 3. STRATEGY FOR APPLICATION OF GAP TO OTHER DRAGON FRUIT PRODUCERS OR OTHER FRUIT SECTORS DOCUMENTED AND TESTED.................. 7 Pilot development, quality and sustainability ........................................................................ 7 Pilot and project efficacy........................................................................................................ 8 Access to the pilot as an outreach tool ................................................................................... 9 Delivery of the pilot model to other dragon fruit production areas ..................................... 10 Benchmarking survey data ................................................................................................... 11 Manual development ............................................................................................................ 11 End of project options .......................................................................................................... 11 SOFRI company development ............................................................................................. 12 Vietnam quality initiative..................................................................................................... 13 4. FINAL DRAFT OF GAP/EUREPGAP MANUAL INCORPORATING FEEDBACK FROM TRAINING PROGRAMMES AND LESSONS LEARNT IN APPLICATION ........ 14 Manual preparation .............................................................................................................. 14 Translation of the document................................................................................................. 14 Distribution........................................................................................................................... 14 Copyright issues ................................................................................................................... 14 Current manual status and future development and availability .......................................... 15 APPENDIX 1 ........................................................................................................................... 16 Specific training documentation table from Milestone #7 ................................................... 16 APPENDIX 2 ........................................................................................................................... 19 Dragon fruit project environment..........................................Error! Bookmark not defined. APPENDIX 3 ........................................................................................................................... 19 So Tay San Xuat Trai Cay Theo Tieu Chuan Gap publication ............................................ 19 APPENDIX 4 ........................................................................................................................... 30 Dragon fruit quality manual cover and index....................................................................... 30 APPENDIX 5 ........................................................................................................................... 35 BRC Copyright approval for the Dragon fruit Quality Manual ........................................... 35 3 INTRODUCTION Much of the reporting requirements for Milestone 8 have been included as part of the project’s regular six monthly reports and in the previous Milestone No.7 report. The purpose of this report has been to briefly cover the Milestone No.8 bullet points and elaborate on those areas not previously reported on. 1. A CADRE OF SOFRI, PPD AND OTHER PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL STAFF COMPETENT IN TRAINING AND APPLICATION OF GAP AND EUREPGAP METHODS AND PRINCIPLES SITUATION AT THE START OF THE PROJECT At the start of the dragon fruit GAP project many SOFRI staff had a significant understanding of Good Agricultural Practice theory but very little experience in the practical application of quality systems. With specific regard to the dragon fruit project, the combination of that lack of practical experience and a dearth of knowledge about dragon fruit production meant that SOFRI personnel were not confident/knowledgeable enough to undertake project responsibilities. It was necessary for the project to overcome these constraints early, so training efforts concentrated on gaining acceptance of the project leader by the SOFRI project team, and enhancing their GAP and crop skills not only to implement the project but also to understand the GAP quality processes to a level that ensured project interventions would be completed and that they were sustainable at project end. Figure 1. Non-compliant on-the-floor Figure 2. Compliant packing. packing. TRAINING PROGRAMME The training provided by the project firstly concentrated on the those SOFRI staff with the responsibility for implementing project initiatives and this was undertaken through strong mentoring and some presentations by the project leader during his periodic visits to Vietnam and intermittent communication and correspondence between visits. 4 The project leader also gave presentations to the wider SOFRI staff during his visits. It has been extremely pleasing to note that the leadership provided at SOFRI by the director and Project Champion Dr Nguyen Minh Chau has created an excellent environment for the advancement of GAP quality capability in Vietnam horticulture, which has proved to be a great base in which to manage and deliver this dragon fruit GAP project. It has been Dr Chau who has drawn the project leader outside the specific terms of reference of the Collaboration for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) project on many occasions, to ensure the maximum benefit was gained from the project. Some of those extra activities include: • Presentations to SOFRI staff based on the project leader’s experience in quality systems (GAP) • Project updates • Formal presentation at the Can Tho International Agricultural Fair on GAP • Introduction to Internal Auditing: presentation of training course for SOFRI staff • Mentoring. From the project leader’s perspective, there have been two very significant contributions during the project that have enhanced the development in capability and confidence of the national project team. One was the implementation of the benchmarking survey, collection and processing of the data and the presentation of the findings to SOFRI personnel and back to the dragon fruit industry. The knowledge gained during the benchmarking exercise enhanced the team’s understanding of the status of the commercial crop, production methods being applied and a realisation that they knew a great deal about the crop and could contribute very strongly to the support and improvement as intended during project intervention: Confidence gained! The second, and major, contribution to national capability enhancement was the undertaking of a study tour to New Zealand by Mr Nguyen Huu Hoang. Ong Hoang’s study tour is detailed in the August 2006 project report. The understanding from observing applied GAP/quality systems in a different environment, plus the formal training and confidence gained by Ong Hoang during the study tour has been immense. It has been a delight for the project leader to observe how this knowledge is being delivered to all areas of the project, to other areas of his responsibilities at SOFRI, to other SOFRI staff and to those with other crop responsibilities. Figure 3. Packer management training. Figure 4. First Aid certificates for trained staff. 5 Figure 5. Packer senior staff training. Figure 6. Packer/farmer linkage training. Figure 7. Farmer training. CURRENT CAPABILITY The response to project training by the Vietnam project team at SOFRI has been fantastic. The key Vietnamese project people of Dr Nguyen Minh Chau, Project Champion, Dr Nguyen Van Hoa, Project Leader and counterpart to the Project Leader, and Mr Nguyen Huu Hoang, Project Implementer, are leaders of the project initiatives that will ensure sustainability in the future. All three have strongly supported the project and reports of the project exceeding expectations can be largely attributed to their efforts: • Dr Chau for his setting up of the overall quality initiative at SOFRI and his respect and influence across other Institutes, Government Departments and the private sector and for creating the environment for successful project management and delivery and infrastructure development • Dr Hoa for his leadership of the dragon fruit project, his role on the Agricultural Chemicals Board, his technical and technology transferring skills and his knowledge of the crop and the GAP project initiatives to the level of the customers’ demands • Ong Hoang for his thorough knowledge of the dragon fruit crop, his expertise, understanding and delivery of GAP, quality systems. Ong Hoang fully understands the quality systems for horticulture, the standards as set by the customer; the practical application of those standards complete with documentation, auditing and improvement. He is very skilful at delivering his considerable expertise to the 6 horticulture industry in general and the dragon fruit project in particular in both Vietnamese and in English. The training programmes of the project have developed over the two years of project delivery, from initially the project leader doing all the presentations in English to farmers/packers with translations, to a situation where the training is given in Vietnamese with the project leader providing a resource support role – very effective teamwork has developed! A table of project training was presented in the Milestone 7 report and reproduced here as Appendix 1. 2. STAFF OF PPD AND EXTENSION STAFF IN BINH THUAN EVALUATED AS TO THEIR AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF GAP AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR APPLICATION BY SMALLHOLDERS ATTEMPTS FOR INVOLVEMENT At the commencement of project implementation, the team gave presentations to the senior and field personnel of Binh Thuan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD). The presentations included an overview of the dragon fruit project scope, the proposed activities during the life of the project and an invitation for DARD staff to be closely involved with project implementation. The project team highlighted the need for DARD personnel to contribute strongly to the project in the areas of farmer selection using local knowledge and to become proficient in GAP as being applied by the project to ensure sustainability following project completion. Channels of communication between SOFRI and DARD in Binh Thuan were set up by the project team and prior to each visit to the province by the project leader a formal letter requesting permission for the visit has been sent to Local Government. Through the visit permission request letter, DARD personnel are warned of the project activities in advance. ONGOING LEVEL OF ACTIVITY AND UNDERSTANDING One person on the DARD staff was nominated as the liaison person between the project team and DARD. The nominated person accompanied the project team on several occasions during the benchmarking survey, farmer selection for project input and for some of the training sessions. However, it has been disappointing that DARD involvement to the level required by the project’s customer-driven quality standards has not reached expectations. Private sector packers and farmers, through the receipt of project initiatives, have a far greater understanding of GAP and its application to the level of the customer-driven standards than do the DARD extensionists. 7 3. STRATEGY FOR APPLICATION OF GAP TO OTHER DRAGON FRUIT PRODUCERS OR OTHER FRUIT SECTORS DOCUMENTED AND TESTED PILOT DEVELOPMENT, QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY As has been previously reported, the project has established a pilot group of exporter/packer and farmers to provide a working model, firstly to show the viability of GAP production of dragon fruit to high value markets and secondly to be able to demonstrate the commercial model to the wider dragon fruit production areas of Binh Thuan, to Tien Giang and also to other fruit crops. Every effort has been made to establish the commercial model so that it is of a high standard that exceeds the quality levels required by the customer-driven quality standards, is sustainable through ongoing good management, has staff that completely “understand” their areas of responsibility, and can operate at a profit. Figure 8. High quality dragon fruit. 8 PILOT AND PROJECT EFFICACY Indications that the dragon fruit pilot has responded to the project’s intensive training programme to a level of achievement close to meeting the quality standards of British Retailers Consortium (BRC) and EUREPGAP include: • Product traceability, a major component of the quality system, from the farm through the packer and exporter to the market is clear and robust. At any time, product identified in the market can be traced back through the supply chain to the farm, production block, date of harvest/packing/despatch and all associated documentation (e.g. spray diary etc.). The packhouse administrator responsible for the development, operation and maintenance of the traceability system has a complete understanding of traceability requirements and importance and the system’s integration with the packhouse and quality system management • Farmer diaries are accurate and complete, signed off by the trained and certificated operator and are available to be evaluated by the appropriate authority to give clearance for product to be exported • Internal auditing of the pilot entities has developed from the formal training through to the practical application. Formal Internal Auditing trained capability has been passed on to other stakeholders, greatly enhancing their understanding of quality systems and the customers’ needs • Word of the project aims, intentions and potential have reached high value export markets and enquiries for supply of dragon fruit that meet the selected standards are being received • TESCOs have already employed a third-party auditor to undertake an ethical audit of the pilot packhouse. The audit report showed the packer to be close to the expected standards. The packer implemented the recommendations for improvement immediately, with most being completed during the audit. The third-party audit greatly assisted the project quality initiative, by demonstrating to the pilot leaders how seriously the standards are interpreted by high value markets such as TESCO. Figure 9. Farmer spray diary audit, Figure 10. Farm documentation: e.g. spray improvement and training. diary, fertiliser application records. 9 Figure 11. Farm location and planting Figure 12. Farm block identification. maps. ACCESS TO THE PILOT AS AN OUTREACH TOOL The project, in its negotiations during the dragon fruit project pilot establishment, has ensured that the commercial working pilot model will be available to be used as an extension tool when developing GAP systems to the wider dragon fruit industry and for other crop quality improvement. A memorandum of understanding between the pilot packer and the Project Champion formalises this close association between the pilot and the project team. It is intended that initially only the project team will be responsible for the outreach programme and interaction with the pilot. However, as extensionists become proficient, they too will have access to the pilot. Indeed, as more commercial units modelled on the pilot become certified, it is expected the burden of the outreach programme on the initial pilot will become less, especially when the initiative shifts to other regions/crops. Figure 14. Compliant fertiliser storage. Figure 13. Compliant agrichemical storage. 10 Figure 15. Packhouse staff cloak room and Figure 16. Packer purchase order and protective clothing. export presentation of product. DELIVERY OF THE PILOT MODEL TO OTHER DRAGON FRUIT PRODUCTION AREAS Project delivery was intended for both the Binh Thuan and Tien Giang Provinces. It was important for the project to establish the pilot to demonstrate viability and a working quality system model for replication. As the pilot nears the standard that will achieve Certification by the selected Certifying Body, outreach activities are becoming more active. Networking between the pilot and other dragon fruit farmers and packers has commenced, as have study tours by small groups visiting the pilot from Tien Giang. It has been a high priority for the project to prepare both the pilot and key personnel to a high level, so that the effect of quality dilution during the replication process is minimised. It is also believed by project personnel that industry control will be needed in the future, to avoid the quality momentum being damaged by insincere operators. Figure 17. Transfer of quality farmer Figure 18. New dragon fruit practices to other farmers. development. 11 Figure 19. New compliant packhouse Figure 20. Field visit to almost being constructed. compliant farmer during expression of interest (EoI) preparation. BENCHMARKING SURVEY DATA The benchmarking survey undertaken by the project was very thorough and covered an excellent cross-section of the small-holder dragon fruit farming community. Survey data were very robust and as well as determining the “status” at project start, they have also been used a technology transfer tools, and used by researchers involved with other crops. MANUAL DEVELOPMENT The project has published a Dragon fruit Quality Manual. The manual has a small section covering the exporter and sections for the packer using the BRC Global - Food Standard and for the farmer the EUREPGAP Standard. The manual is appropriate for use throughout the dragon fruit industry, with minor modifications for each specific application, and can easily be adapted for other horticultural crops. The quality systems being applied by the project to enable the pilot access to the high value markets of Europe and the United Kingdom are at a higher level than the standards currently being set under AsianGAP. Indeed the AsianGAP initiative is an excellent foundation from which to develop into the BRC/EUREPGAP/Customer specific standards. The progression of quality systems in Vietnam’s horticulture is seen to commence with AsianGAP, continue on to the BRC/EUREPGAP standards and to be fine-tuned for specific customer needs/demands. This quality system evolutionary process will increasingly improve the safe, legal and quality horticultural products for local markets through to high value export markets. The Dragon fruit Quality Manual provides the basis of each unit’s documented quality system for each standard. END OF PROJECT OPTIONS It is expected that, at project completion, most areas of the project objectives will have been completed, with many exceeding expectations. It is clear to the project leader that the dragon fruit practical initiative that has been stimulated and supported by the project is at a vulnerable stage and further appropriate/compatible support would ensure long-term sustainability in the future. Key personnel from the dragon fruit project, SOFRI, HortResearch, dragon fruit packers and farmers developed an expression of interest for a new two-year project, which was presented 12 to Hassall and Associates International (HAI)/CARD on 22 May 2007 (Appendix 2). The proposed scope for the new project is very ambitious and complex and would cover the continuation of the current project initiative to ensure sustainability and delivery to the wider dragon fruit areas and other crops. The proposed project would also address high value market linkages, appropriate infrastructure development and the development of industry specific/dependent/supported research, development and promotion. Figure 21. Stakeholders develop the Expression of Interest for a new project. SOFRI COMPANY DEVELOPMENT During the dragon fruit project period, there has been a directive for Vietnamese Institutes like SOFRI to transform from government departments to profitable companies. There is a similarity in this transformation process in many ways with that of HortResearch over recent years. A study tour to New Zealand and Australia by selected senior Vietnamese officials visited HortResearch on 28 February 2007 for prepared presentations and discussions with key personnel. The project leader gave a dragon fruit project presentation to the delegation and has frequently discussed the HortResearch model with Dr Chau during visits to Vietnam. The SOFRI Company is seen by the project leader to be an important component in the future Vietnamese quality-driven horticulture industry for its skills, services and problem solving ability. 13 VIETNAM QUALITY INITIATIVE As part of Vietnam’s drive to expand good agricultural practices in horticulture, the Government directed SOFRI in mid 2006 to publish a 400-page GAP book with an intended distribution of 1,000 copies. (A copy is included with this milestone report – printed only in Vietnamese). The project leader was requested to contribute a chapter for the book based on a case study of the CARD dragon fruit GAP project (Refer to the February 2007 project report, Appendix 2. The English version of the contribution: A case study of the project: Developing GAP systems for dragon fruit producers and exporters in Binh Thuan and Tien Giang provinces – Viet Nam; authors John M Campbell & Nguyen Huu Hoang is contained in Appendix 3 of this report). As well as the inclusion of the chapter in the publication, extended use of material from the dragon fruit manual was also made. Figure 22. Field spray filling station with Figure 23. Block identification and clean water, spill containment, appropriate caution signage. drainage and bunding and staff wash-up facilities. Figure 24. Deep well protective cover. 14 4. FINAL DRAFT OF GAP/EUREPGAP MANUAL INCORPORATING FEEDBACK FROM TRAINING PROGRAMMES AND LESSONS LEARNT IN APPLICATION MANUAL PREPARATION As reported previously, the Dragon fruit Quality Manual (Appendix 4, cover page and index) was prepared by the project. The 270-page English version has been written to provide the documented quality system for the project’s pilot exporter, packer and farmers as required by the project’s selected quality systems of BRC Global – Food and EUREPGAP. The manual was due in the draft form by the end of March 2006 (Milestone #4) and final draft by July 2007 (Milestone #8). However, because the project has progressively developed the final and working version of the manual for the pilot, the document has been submitted as a final version and earlier than required. Verification that the manual fulfils its intended purpose will be confirmed during the external inspection and pilot certification process when conducted by the Certifying Body. TRANSLATION OF THE DOCUMENT Translation of the manual has been undertaken by the SOFRI project team and is almost completed – the position descriptions of the packer section are all that remain to be done. DISTRIBUTION At the time of writing only a small number of manuals have been distributed. Those receiving the manual include the project donor HAI, CARD, the project implementing agencies of SOFRI and HortResearch, the pilot, another packer being developed and farmers (farmer section only). COPYRIGHT ISSUES When developing the manual for the pilot, the project team wanted the manual to be a high quality tool for training all stakeholders of the pilot as well as describing the documented quality system. Some copyright issues arose following project management’s desire to include the BRC “Fundamental Statement” in the manual, to give those using the manual a better understanding of the scope and purpose of each requirement in the standard. Negotiations with BRC resolved the issues and the project is free to include the Fundamental Statement providing a new standard is purchased for each subsequent packhouse facility established (refer to Appendix 5). CURRENT MANUAL STATUS AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND AVAILABILITY The Dragon fruit Quality Manual has been written specifically to fulfil the documented quality system requirements of the standards being applied in the pilot. For the pilot, the manual is a living document and as such is always being updated and improved as part of the quality systems implemented in the pilot. Besides specific changes to the manual to suit the needs of the pilot, the project highlights other ongoing manual change needs: • When adapting the manual to other packhouses • When adapting the manual to other farms • When adapting the manual to other crops • To update as required by the existing quality standards (e.g. EUREPGAP from version 2.1 to 3.0) • To include the standards requirements of customer-driven needs • To prepare the manual so that it is suitable for inclusion on the CARD website. At this early stage of quality development of the horticultural crops of Vietnam, it is recommended that the project personnel provide the lead in manual changes and adaptation. The manual developed as an output of the dragon fruit project is freely available to those implementing quality improvement in dragon fruit. 15 16 APPENDIX 1 SPECIFIC TRAINING DOCUMENTATION TABLE FROM MILESTONE #7 Stage Area Component Prerequisite Training Outcome 1 Project management ƒ Project Leader ƒ Knowledge ƒ Acceptance ƒ Management ƒ Delivery ƒ Project exceeds expectations ƒ SOFRI Project Team ƒ Responsiveness to change training ƒ Ability to implement project obligations ƒ Motivation to pass on knowledge gained ƒ From project leader via mentoring, presentations, team interactions, etc. ƒ Learning from training delivery feedback ƒ Networking ƒ Study Tour: to New Zealand ƒ Formal courses: e.g. NZOQ Internal Auditor Course ƒ Complete understanding of the dragon fruit crop ƒ Being customer driven ƒ Complete understanding of quality systems and their implementation to the level of the adopted standards ƒ Peer recognition as experts in the field ƒ Respect for their competence in the project scope and nationally ƒ Increased demand on their quality knowledge transfer ƒ SOFRI Environment ƒ SOFRI leadership is quality driven ƒ SOFRI Leadership has set up a strong quality environment at the institute ƒ SOFRI staff quality motivated ƒ Project leader presentations ƒ Networking ƒ Mentoring ƒ Other obligations outside the scope of the project document ƒ Dr Nguyen Minh Chau has set up an excellent environment within SOFRI for project delivery and management ƒ All SOFRI staff are on the path to GAP learning and application/support ƒ Respect for Dr Chau has facilitated the smooth establishment of the project’s commercial “Pilot” and a start to national infrastructure development to support the quality dragon fruit industry 2 Project delivery ƒ Benchmarking survey ƒ Project team with the necessary understanding and skills ƒ Test sample ƒ Training of young scientists ƒ Conducting the survey ƒ Learning through listening and observing ƒ Documentation of the GAP status of small-holder farms in relation to the EUREPGAP Standard ƒ Selection of farmers with project delivery potential ƒ Increased GAP understanding and capability of SOFRI and DARD staff ƒ Identification of a suitable packer/exporter for project GAP intervention ƒ Small-holder GAP project intervention ƒ Competent project team and trainers with the necessary understanding and skills ƒ Willingness to learn GAP ƒ GAP benefits extolled during the benchmarking survey ƒ Farmer group training through discussions, Microsoftđ Office ƒ An increase in GAP understanding by small-holder dragon fruit farmers ƒ Initial training presented to a wide range of farmers previously selected through the benchmarking survey 17 Stage Area Component Prerequisite Training Outcome principles ƒ Have access to necessary resources to make the physical changes needed ƒ Have the ability to understand and implement GAP PowerPointđ presentations, demonstration, etc. ƒ Individual farmer training through discussions, farm mapping, and requirements needed to meet the standards, etc. ƒ HACCP surveys and training ƒ Health and Safety training ƒ Risk analysis and documentation ƒ Safe use of agrichemicals and DARD personnel ƒ Workable alternatives to small-holder farmers lack of commitment to take their level of GAP to the customer driven standards of EUREPGAP ƒ Project continues to recruit small-holder farmers for GAP intervention as they increasingly become committed ƒ Small-holder farmers are ready to flock to the GAP production of dragon fruit following proof of viability as demonstrated by the project pilot ƒ Infrastructure development Prerequisites for a dynamic quality driven dragon fruit industry include: ƒ Certified laboratory services for soil, leaf, water analysis ƒ Safe use of agrichemicals ƒ First Aid certification ƒ Internal auditing. ƒ Trainer of approved trainers ƒ Certifying bodies ƒ Standards development ƒ Problem solving, R & D Promotion, etc. ƒ Documentation of areas to be addressed ƒ Mentoring ƒ Study Tour observations of working systems Although outside the scope of the project document, this area has been encouraged by the project leader. Dr Chau’s quality systems skills and understanding and position of authority and respect have led to significant development in this area. ƒ Approved/certified/appropriate providers to service the quality needs of the dragon fruit industry to the standards demanded by the customer – BRC and EUREPGAP ƒ A competitive market for the service providers to ensure costs to the farmer are kept to a sustainable minimum ƒ A strong quality driven organised dragon fruit industry is established ƒ Pilot development ƒ A commercial packer/exporter of dragon fruit that has the resources, desire, skills and attitude to adopt the changes necessary to comply with the selected quality standards ƒ Quality advise for the packer/exporter to follow on its path to quality compliance – to work closely with the project team ƒ Identification and project selling to the packer/exporter – an education/negotiation process ƒ Identification of farmers for project quality intervention – farmers include large-holders and well as small-holders – an education/negotiation process ƒ Define the existing processes and train for changes necessary ƒ Pilot packer/exporter selected and agreement to cooperate with the project ƒ Mutual respect between pilot and project team; particularly with the packer ƒ Full cooperation by farmers with project team ƒ Implementation of systems and advise delivery ƒ Documented quality system developed – “Dragon fruit Quality Manual” in English and Vietnamese written and presented to pilot ƒ Specific achievements in implementing the dragon fruit quality manual e.g. Product traceability, quality 18 Stage Area Component Prerequisite Training Outcome ƒ Establishment of a documented quality system ƒ A code of honesty, transparency and understanding ƒ A willingness to take the lead in the quality development of the pilot and to fulfil the system responsibilities to the “supplier” (small-holder) ƒ Allow the project to have access to all the data generated by the project initiative for subsequent analysis and technology transfer to other dragon fruit groups (and other crops) to facilitate compliance – general and very specific training ƒ Train individuals and groups to a level of proficiency for stakeholders to “understand”, “control” and improve all processes continuously ƒ Train the quality manager as leader of the “quality” responsibilities and in the role of self assessment (Internal Auditing) control, etc. ƒ Physical changes made in the packhouse and on the farms and services to facilitate compliance issues as directed by the project team ƒ Farm registration, location, mapping, documentation, etc. ƒ Supplier contract and schedule of costs agreed and signed between packer and farmer in compliance with the standards ƒ Honest, transparent and customer driven supply, grade, pack and postharvest chain 3 Marketing ƒ Identify High Value Markets ƒ That the pilot has attained compliance with the BRC and EUREPGAP Standards and operates at that level at all times ƒ Train all pilot personnel to understand the processes, to keep those processes under control at all times and have the ability to constantly improve them ƒ Train to be customer driven ƒ Attain and maintain preferred supplier status with the customer and to work together to resolve any issues jointly ƒ BRC Global – Food Standards Certification at the packhouse: maintained ƒ EUREPGAP Standards Certification for all supplying farms: maintained ƒ Consistently high returns for product being exported ƒ Access to top end markets through providing product that is safe, legal, of the quality and presentation demanded by the customer ƒ Good communication between customer, exporter, packer and farmer 4 Compliance ƒ External Audit ƒ Compliance of the pilot confirmed by internal audit ƒ Internal Auditor trained to the appropriate proficiency ƒ Corrective action process and implementation ƒ Good working relationships with Certifying Body ƒ External audit completed ƒ Corrective action implemented ƒ Sign off of changes ƒ BRC Global – Food Standards Certification at the packhouse ƒ EUREPGAP Standards Certification for all supplying farms 19 APPENDIX 2: DEVELOP NEW EOI APPENDIX 3 SO TAY SAN XUAT TRAI CAY THEO TIEU CHUAN GAP PUBLICATION English version of chapter. Vietnamese version published in the accompanying book. Quality Systems for Good Agricultural Practice of Dragon fruit Production, Packing and Export A case study of the project: Developing GAP systems for dragon fruit producers and exporters in Binh Thuan and Tien Giang provinces – Viet Nam. John M Campbell & Nguyen Huu Hoang December 2006 ******************************** Introduction Dragon fruit is an important and expanding crop for many small farm holders and their families in Vietnam’s rural economy. Market returns for dragon fruit in Asian markets has declined by about 60% since 2000 because of oversupply, and exports to high value western markets are seriously constrained because Vietnam’s production does not comply with their regulatory and food safety requirements. European supermarkets have recently implemented their Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group; Good Agricultural Practice (EUREGAP) certification programme, a standard that embodies food safety, environmental and ethical principles throughout the production system. The Vietnamese fruit sector is increasingly aware of both the domestic and export demand for ‘safe fruit’ but local definitions of ‘safe fruit’ fall significantly short of market expectations required in certified programmes such as EUREPGAP. Moreover, in the absence of a successful implementation model, there is little appreciation of what is required to progress the fruit sector towards internationally recognised standards of food safety and Good Agricultural Practice. This paper discusses the AusAID, Collaboration for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) programme project: “Developing GAP systems for dragon fruit producers and exporters in Binh Thuan and Tien Giang provinces of Viet Nam” as a case study. The project, administered by Hassall and Associates International (HAI) is being implemented jointly by HortResearch of New Zealand and the Southern Fruit Research Institute (SOFRI) of My Tho, Tien Giang, Vietnam. 20 The Dragon fruit GAP project in brief Dragon fruit was chosen as the preferred crop to implement high value market global quality standards as it is a crop that is affected by relatively few pest and disease problems and requires low inputs of agrichemicals. There are large areas of dragon fruit grown by mainly small holders so the potential impact of the project quality initiatives can vastly improve the income generating capability of those farmers willing to improve to the standards. The two and a half year dragon fruit GAP project has undertaken to deliver quality systems development in the dragon fruit industry, initially through establishing a ‘pilot’ model of farmers, packer and exporter which when operating in conformity with market driven legal, safety and quality standards will be used as a subsequent training model for the wider dragon fruit industry and to other crops in Vietnam’s horticulture. The principal objectives of the project are: • To increase small holders’ competitiveness and capacity to supply dragon fruit to high-value international markets, introducing new concepts of food safety, environmental responsibility, sustainability and worker safety into their production practices • To provide technical support and training for Vietnam extension/researchers to improve their capacity in group training procedures for GAP implementation in dragon fruit • Adoption of new practices that are required for entry into the European market • Empowerment of small farmers to negotiate improved supply arrangements. The Dragon fruit GAP project implementation Implementation of the project commenced with a bench marking survey to determine the level of agricultural practices at the commencement of the project. The survey was designed by the project management team and implemented by the SOFRI project team with the assistance of the young scientists of SOFRI. 120 farmers of the Binh Thuan province and 30 farmers of the Tien Giang province were surveyed. Data collected during the survey were translated into English and entered into a database. Analysis of the data was made by HortResearch staff and presentations of the findings returned to stakeholders. During the survey, and based on collected data, appropriate farmers were identified for subsequent project input. Initial and significant project effort was applied to train those identified farmers in good agricultural practice improvement. However, as the project is the first attempt to bring good agricultural practices and market driven quality systems to the Vietnam horticulture industry, there is no knowledge of the viability of producing dragon fruit using those quality systems for accessing the high value markets of Europe. This and the provision of the resources needed to implement good agricultural practice changes has discouraged farmers from committing themselves to project improvement initiatives. After an initial period of enthusiasm, farmers soon lost interest in committing to quality improvement for their farm. It was originally the project directive to improve the lot of the poor and small farmer. However, these farmers have very limited or no resources to make the necessary changes to lift their operations to the level required by the high value market standards. Many small/poor farmers totally rely on early fruit payments and fruit harvesting services of the collector and have no capability for improvement. The project recognised the need firstly to demonstrate the viability of the quality path for dragon fruit production, and so accelerated the establishment of a ‘pilot’, which consists of 21 farmers and a packer/exporter to implement quality improvement. It is anticipated that as soon as the ‘pilot’ meets the requirements of the selected quality standards, is Certificated and has an indication that the costs of compliance and product value from high value markets are economically viable, there will be no problem selecting and retaining the poor/small farmers. This will be especially true if economical development and seasonal financial help are made available from financial institutions. It must be stated that the pilot is the nucleus of a demonstration unit and no farmer wishing to join the pilot will be refused entry. As the pilot expands, the project will encourage the establishment of new units of the model both in Binh Thuan and Tien Giang provinces. The original selection of ‘pilot’ participants was based on the following criteria: • Be market driven (customer focused) • Be committed to quality management (show some improvement changes) • Have access to the resources to make improvements to their operation to the level required by the selected standard • A willingness to improve/change and implement the requirements of the standards • Accept training for themselves and all staff in their operation – demonstrate interest in staff welfare and development • Provide access to project generated data/information in their quality operations for project comparisons with the ‘prior to project’ intervention data • Be transparent and honest towards the standards • Allow the project to use the pilot during its outreach programme. Quality system standards specifically tailored for and by the intended market were chosen and are being established by the project in the ‘pilot’. The standards being applied are the minimum requirements for fruit being exported to the European market. Market importance The project is very market driven and every effort has been made by the project to develop robust quality systems within the pilot that operate to the highest levels of the selected standard to deliver safe, legal and quality products that meet or exceed the customer’s expectation. The markets targeted by the project are the high value export market. Markets can be defined as: High value export markets: – made possible through the British Retailers Consortium (BRC) Standard at the packhouse and appropriate packing, packaging and transportation • Direct access to elite markets • Restaurants • Specialist exotic fruit markets • Supermarkets that specialise in exotic/unique fruit • High quality high end supermarkets with controlled volumes, top quality expectations and high prices. Commodity export markets – AsiaGap standards with downgraded fruit being packed in a secondary packhouse • Neighbouring countries 22 • Supermarket chains that deal in volume but lower price - national. Local markets • All other fruit • Processing? Project emphasis for the pilot is to produce high quality fruit and pack that fruit in the BRC compliant packhouse for the high value markets only. Fruit packaging will be to the customer’s requirements and will possibly involve blister pack, retail display trays, bulk packs, etc. direct to the customer and not be exposed to any rework in the country of destination. It needs to be strongly noted that the project emphasis is to access high value markets continually to generate higher incomes for poor/small farmers. The ability to access these high value markets to generate maximum returns for the farmers relies on three very important major components: 1. Dragon fruit being exported to these markets meets the customers’ standards for safety, legality and of the appropriate quality in all aspects 2. The processes from the farm through the packer and exporter to the customer are undertaken by business operations that are dedicated to producing and delivering product to the customer that meets or exceeds the customers’ expectations. 3. That the business operations of the farmer, packer, and exporter are viable and sustainable. To address each of the three components consistently, stakeholders need to cooperate and work with a common goal to: • Maintain certification and operate in confirmed conformity with all the standards at all times • Only target the high end of the market. Because dragon fruit is a short shelf life product and must be exported by airfreight, there is a high inherent cost for each unit of produce being exported. Profitability will only be maintained if maximum prices are realised at all times – low quality product means low prices are realised and the product has a short shelf life, rapidly deteriorating quality with product rework and legal/disposal potential • Constantly improve quality, customer satisfaction, processes and operations and systematically reduce waste. The earlier a potential problem is removed from the process, the lower the cost. 23 Quality systems development The project quality development process The quality system development process that the project has followed has the following steps: 1. Benchmark the current practices at the commencement of the project to define the operating standards on the farm compared with those of the EUREPGAP standards 2. Plan the scope and methodology for implementing the quality systems to achieve the project objectives 3. Identify a ‘Pilot’ of a group of farmers, a packer and an exporter, to be used by the project for subsequent development and demonstration 4. Decide on the appropriate quality standards for the project to implement in the pilot quality systems 5. Access the standards 6. Define the process from the farm through the packer and exporter to the customer 7. Identify all the individual stages in the process 8. Prepare a dragon fruit quality manual, based on the selected standards that are appropriate for the ‘process’. (The dragon fruit quality manual describes the manner in which the process will be achieved to conform to the standards) 9. Improve the physical aspects of the project pilot processes so that conformity with the standards can be achieved and maintained 10. Train personnel in their selected positions and responsibilities so they ‘understand’ their role to maintain conformity with the standards and have the capacity to undertake other duties in cases of absenteeism in associated positions 11. Operate with the processes in conformity under operational conditions 12. Check the processes are operating in conformity by internally auditing individual parts or all of the process 13. Confirm conformity through full internal auditing 14. Arrange for an approved Certifying Body to undertake an external audit for the process against the selected standards and Certificate the process. Choice of quality system standards EUREPGAP at the farmer level and BRC at the packer level were chosen for project implementation as both are very similar and compatible standards and are the minimum requirements for market access to the high value markets of Europe. Management of the quality systems of the project pilot has been embedded in the packhouse under the control of the Quality Manager. There are many advantages from having the quality system managed by the packhouse. They include: • The packer is market driven and can provide the vision, leadership and motivation to develop and maintain the full quality system so that it conforms with the standards at all times • The packer can provide coordination of the quality systems from the field to the customer 24 • The packhouse requires a strong quality management system to meet the standards and these include many on-farm functions • The packhouse quality manager can assist farmers’ quality obligations in areas where they are deficient • Distribution of technical information to the farmers is possible in an accurate and systematic way so all farmers are coordinated in their management and quality approach • The operation is of a size that gives it the capability of contracting out to specialists for problem solving • Bulk purchasing of consumables at discounted prices • Provision of internal audit services at the packhouse and on the farm to enhance uniform operating standards and to ensure corrective action for non-conformities is undertaken and closed off • Costs of compliance are less to implement and manage with the quality system being managed at the packhouse and those costs can be spread over a large throughput of fruit on a per carton basis. Quality manual The philosophy of the project in developing the quality manual has been to develop a document that is user friendly, appropriate to the operation, closely follows the sequence of the individual standards and requirements of the selected standards and can be used as a training tool for stakeholders. The Dragon fruit Quality Manual has three main sections: • Exporter section – The pilot packer is also an exporter so the manuals exporter section is small because most requirements are included in the packer section. Much of the exporter component is also outside the scope of the project • Packer section – The packer section has been developed around the packhouse operations and follows the format and requirements of the BRC Global – Food Standard • Farmer section – The farmer section has been developed around good agricultural practice for farm operations and follows the format and requirements of the EUREPGAP Standard. The manual also includes a reference section, which contains: • Definitions • Protocols • Plan samples • Position descriptions • Documentation generic samples • Linkages to sites of information, requirements, etc. • Dragon fruit register. The dragon fruit quality manual is appropriate as part of a robust quality system. In total it appears complex, but by addressing each component of the standard/manual separately it can be easy to implement the quality system. 25 The manual developed by the project is the final copy. However, it must be appreciated that the manual is a living document and will continually undergo change in the project pilot as part of the continuous improvement processes being implemented, or when being adapted to other dragon fruit operations, and when being applied to other horticultural crops. The project developed dragon fruit quality manual has been prepared in a way so that it can be applied to other farms and packhouses, whether for dragon fruit or other fruit crops. There is no doubt that a motivated packer or farmer could acquire the manual and implement the quality system to the standards required without assistance. However, it is recommended that the experience of the project-trained personnel be sought. There is a drive in the South East Asia Region to implement standards for horticulture production, for example AseanGAP. The requirements of the AseanGAP Standards, while not as comprehensive as the BRC and EUREPGAP Standards, are comparable/compatible in many areas. For this reason it is possible to lift the relevant sections in the dragon fruit quality manual for use in the application of the AseanGAP Standard. The advantages of doing this are to standardise the quality systems being applied, to provide an excellent introduction into high quality horticultural production and form a strong quality system platform for those wishing subsequently to raise their standards to the higher level. Physical preparation Once the quality standards are accepted and the manual (the blueprint/plan for the process) prepared, the physical improvement of the process needs to be implemented so that the process operates as described in the manual and so that each segment of the process meets or exceeds the requirement of the standard. It cannot be emphasised enough that all physical improvements are to be completed to a high standard that addresses every item in the manual. The physical appearance of the operation is the ‘window’ for the owner to show that the operation fully embraces quality and it also indicates to the auditor that the quality of the processes is being taken seriously. Documentation Documentation for the dragon fruit project pilot meets the requirements of the standards being applied. Some generic samples of the documentation are included in the dragon fruit quality manual, while much of the documentation has been developed from the existing packhouse documentation and is confidential to the packer because of the sensitivity of the information, such as employment contracts. Conformity with documentation requirements is of paramount importance and is a major tool by which the process is measured. Accurate documentation of the process has three major functions, which are: 1. For the operation owner to confirm to the customer that all processes conform to the standards at all times. This ensures that the customer can have confidence that the product they are purchasing is safe, legal and of the required quality. It also confirms to the operator that the processes are “in control” 2. For the protection of the operation owner: If the product supplied has been processed in documented conformity to all the standards and to the customer’s specifications and has subsequently arrived at the customer with a problem, then it can be defended that the problem occurred outside the scope of the operation. For example: poor temperature control by the freight company damaging fruit or reducing shelf life - legal compensation claims can target the correct nonconformity offender 26 3. Collection of data generated from documentation processes, when analysed, assists management to make management and improvement decisions for the operation that are based on fact. Training Training of people involved in the project has been an evolutionary process. At the start of the project, there was only a small appreciation and knowledge of horticulture quality systems. Every effort has been made by the project to up-skill, firstly the SOFRI project team, and also other SOFRI staff, the personnel of the pilot packhouse and supplying farmers, and other farmer groups. No restrictions have been imposed on the numbers of people wishing to be up- skilled; indeed, many of the training sessions have been impromptu meetings. Training of key project personnel has been intensive and is resulting in confident and competent personnel with excellent quality skills to continue the quality improvement programme of Vietnam’s horticulture in a sustainable way. The emphasis has been a combination of hands-on practical application, the buddy system, mentoring, and formal training courses and has included modern management, time management, project and people management as well as the quality system training. The secondary stage, that of training the project pilot personnel, is now being delivered by a confident and competent trained SOFRI team. Shifting the skills learned out to the wider dragon fruit industry and to other crops is also taking place. Every care has been taken by the project to develop people at all levels, so they have an understanding of the particular subject, are self motivated to interpret the standards and requirements of them and undertake their duties in an inspired, calm, transparent, and honest manner. Internal auditing, corrective action Internal Auditing is the key to maintaining a healthy, growing and continually improving management system. All areas of non-conformity of the operation are identified through Internal Auditing. Non-conformances indicate where a system is found either not working properly as documented or lacking in some requirement area of the relevant standards. Full New Zealand Organisation for Quality Internal Auditor training has been provided by the project to one of the SOFRI project leaders and subsequent Introduction to Internal Auditing training courses have been presented in the pilot and to SOFRI staff. It is proposed to present the full Internal Auditor training courses at a later date. The New Zealand trained SOFRI auditor will conduct the initial audits of the project pilot while transferring his skills to relevant pilot personnel. Internal Auditing of the project pilot is an evidence-based approach carried out by an independent person who will apply the auditing principles received during training. Non- conformities occurring in the pilot and their causes will be identified and documented during the Internal Audits and corrective action implemented. External auditing and Certification The quality standards chosen for the project and the pilot demand that the quality system be customer focused. To ensure conformity of the pilot to the customer’s satisfaction, it is necessary to undertake a Certification Audit conducted by an independent and internationally accredited Certification Body. SGS Vietnam Ltd is an internationally accredited Certification Body with trained and approved auditors for both EUREPGAP and BRC standards. 27 The project will employ SGS to undertake the audit and Certification of the pilot at the appropriate time. Maintenance and improvement The development of the project pilot has been made in a systematic and sustainable way. The project has concentrated on the development of people’s understanding of quality system requirements for the horticulture industry. Effort has focused on the commercial sector to ensure business skills are present, that there is a commitment to quality system development, resources are available for change and improvement and the operator is in the business for the long haul. The project has implemented a quality system that is of a very high standard, and has an inherent checking and improvement component that continually relates to the standards and the customer’s requirements. Every effort has been made by the project to provide the pilot participants with the skills and knowledge to manage a sustainable quality operation that continually delivers safe, legal and quality product that meets or exceeds the customer’s expectations. Discussion Collectors During the Benchmarking Survey it was identified and confirmed that a high percentage of small and poor farmers relied heavily on the collector to purchase their dragon fruit. Farmer lots of fruit collected by the collector are mixed, with all trace of its place of origin destroyed. Traceability of product is a major requirement of both of the quality standards of the project initiative. All fruit being presented to the customer must be able to be traced right back to the farm and individual block it originated. To implement the project and conform to the quality standards in the pilot, it has been necessary either to have fruit collected by the packer or delivered by the farmer. The decision by the project not to use collectors was based on keeping the pilot simple and to reduce the risk of non-compliance. It is, in the future, the intention to write a protocol by which the collector can operate, so traceability can be assured. There are significant problems with the collector system from small farms in relation to complying with the standards and these relate mainly to the size of consignments of a particular quality of fruit. Fruit of similar quality from several farms can be in the same basket or crate with no traceability. Small consignments of fruit are also a problem for the packhouse processes to handle. It has not been the intention of the project to cause any potential damage to any sector of the existing dragon fruit industry; however, implementing change for improvement invariably has a down side, which can cause problems for other sectors. The reliance by the small and poor dragon fruit farmer on early cash flow, through purchase of the crop in the field, cash advance or by having the crop harvested by the collector has been noted by the project team. Resourcing change The role of the collectors in their provision of cash flow is very important to the small or poor farmer and is a constraint to those farmers wishing to elevate themselves from basic production of dragon fruit, to producing in conformity with the standards as part of quality operation. 28 To break the cycle of reliance on the collector, it will be necessary to give those farmers access to seasonal and developmental finance. If and when this issue is addressed, consideration must also be given to providing small business management training. Trainers of trainers It is a requirement of the standards adopted by the project that training of personnel in specific areas critical to the operation meet conformity and are undertaken by suitably trained and approved trainers. Every effort has been made by the project to deliver independent and certified training to pilot personnel that meet the expectations of the standards, for example, as has been reported, a New Zealand Organisation for Quality trained Internal Auditor, Safe use of agrichemicals for farmers training by SOFRI experts, etc. However, in Vietnam, there is no authority yet to evaluate trainers who train trainers and provide them with accreditation. For the long term sustainability of a quality industry, these issues will need to be addressed. Translations Almost all the material used and generated by the dragon fruit project has been written in English. Translation of project material has been done by the SOFRI project team. This has been a time consuming task. However, the translation process has given the translators a much deeper and more meaningful understanding and appreciation of the quality systems and their development. Replication to the wider dragon fruit industry and other crops As discussed previously, there are many advantages in using the people, horticultural quality system skills, the quality manual and other areas developed during the project implementation for transfer to the wider dragon fruit industry and to other fruit crops. The donor for the project is very much in favour of using the project outcomes for the good of the crops of Vietnam’s horticulture industry. All project-generated material is freely available. Infrastructure development Quality horticultural production to the standards of BRC and EUREPGAP is a new phenomenon in Vietnam and because of this there are industry infrastructure areas that require enhancing or establishing. In the short term, the project has used people and facilities of an acceptable standard to meet the requirements of BRC and EUREPGAP, but in the long term, these arrangements need to be established at the appropriate level, operating to approved standards, to sustain the emerging quality industry. Infrastructure areas needed include: • A national register for dragon fruit producers (there may come a time when the industry will need to be controlled/licensed) • Development of a coordinated dragon fruit industry (now Vietnam is embarking on quality production for high value markets for dragon fruit, it is an opportune time to have all exporters selling through a single office, to negotiate the highest prices for their product possible and to prevent customers playing exporters off against each other and driving the product price down) • There is the potential to develop national branding for dragon fruit • Approved laboratories for water, soil and leaf analysis and for the interpretation of the results and distribution of appropriate recommendations for farmers • Independent accredited trainers of trainers for: Internal Auditing, Safe use of Agrichemicals, Quality Assurance, First Aid, Health and Safety, etc. 29 • Independent spray diary/record analysis relating to approved chemical applications and observed withholding periods and clearance to harvest • Soil maps for production areas • Communication. John Campbell Nguyen Huu Hoang HortResearch Southern Fruit Research Institute (SOFRI) P O Box 220 P O Box 203 Motueka My Tho, Tien Giang New Zealand Viet Nam Email: jcampbell@hortresearch.co.nz Email: hoangsofri@yahoo.com www.hortresearch.co.nz 30 APPENDIX 4 DRAGON FRUIT QUALITY MANUAL COVER AND INDEX 31 SECTION A – THE EXPORTER 1. Project Scope 2. The GAP Project Pilot Prgramme 3. Product compliance with the standards SECTION B – THE PACKER 1. HACCP System 2. Quality Management System 2.1 Quality Management System – General Requirements 2.2 Packer Quality Policy Statement 2.3 Quality Manual 2.4 Organisational Structure, Responsibility and Management Authority 2.5 Management Commitment 2.6 Customer Focus 2.7 Management Review 2.8 Resource Management 2.9 Internal Audit 2.10 Purchasing 2.11 General Documentation Requirements 2.12 Corrective Action 2.13 Traceability 2.14 Management of Incidents, Product Withdrawal and Product Recall 2.15 Complaint Handling 3. Factor Environment Standards 3.1 External Environmental Standards 3.2 Internal Environmental Standards 3.3 Services 3.4 Equipment 3.5 Maintenance 3.6 Staff Facilities 3.7 Physical and Chemical Product Contamination Risk 3.8 Housekeeping and Hygiene 3.9 Waste/Water Disposal 3.10 Pest Control 3.11 Transport 4. Product Control 4.1 Product Design/Development 4.2 Handling Requirements for Specific Materials 4.3 Metal Detection/Foreign Body Detection 4.4 Product Packaging 4.5 Product Inspection and Analysis 4.6 Stock Rotation 4.7 Product Release 4.8 Control of Non-conforming Product 5. Process Control 5.1 Control of Operations 5.2 Quantity Control 5.3 Calibration and Control of Measuring and Monitoring Devices 32 6. Personnel 6.1 Training – Raw Material Handling, Preparation, Processing, Packing and Storage Areas 6.2 Personal Hygiene – Raw Material Handling, Preparation, Processing, Packing and Storage Areas 6.3 Medical Screening 6.4 Protection Clothing – Food Handler and Others Working in or Visiting Food – Handling Areas 7. Records 8. Grower Register SECTION C – THE FARMER 1. Traceability 2. Record Keeping 2.1 Farmer Records 3. Varieties and Rootstocks 3.1 Choice of Rootstock 3.2 Seed Rootstock Quality 3.3 Pest and Disease Resistance 3.4 Seed Treatments and Dressings 3.5 Propagation Material 3.6 Genetically Modified Organisms 4. Site History and Management 4.1 Site History 4.2 Site Management 5. Soil and Substrate Management 5.1 Soil Mapping 5.2 Cultivation 5.3 Soil Erosion 5.4 Soil Fumigation 5.5 Substrates 6. Fertiliser Usage 6.1 Advice on Quality and Type of Fertiliser 6.2 Records of Application 6.3 Application Machinery 6.4 Fertiliser Storage 6.5 Organic Fertiliser 6.6 Inorganic Fertiliser 7. Irrigation/Fertigation 7.1 Predicting Irrigation Requirements 7.2 Irrigation/Fertigation Methods 7.3 Quality of Irrigation Water 7.4 Supply of Irrigation/Fertigation Water 8. Crop Protection 8.1 Basic Elements of Crop Protection 8.2 Choice of Chemicals 8.3 Records of Application 8.4 Pre-Harvest Intervals 8.5 Application Equipment 33 8.6 Disposal of Surplus Spray Mix 8.7 Crop Protection Product Residue Analysis 8.8 Crop Protection Product Storage and Handling 8.9 Empty Crop Protection Product Containers 8.10 Obsolete Crop Protection Products 9. Harvesting 9.1 Hygiene 9.2 Packaging/Harvesting Containers on Farm 9.3 Product packed at point of harvest 10. Postharvest Treatments 10.1 Hygiene 10.2 Postharvest washing 10.3 Postharvest Treatments 10.4 On-farm Facility for Produce Handling and/or Storage 11. Water and Pollution Management 11.1 Identification of Waste and Pollutants 11.2 Waste and Pollution Action Plan 12. Worker Health and Safety 12.1 Risk assessments 12.2 Training 12.3 Facilities, Equipment and Accident Procedures 12.4 Crop Protection Product Handling 12.5 Protective Clothing/Equipment 12.6 Welfare 12.7 Visitors 13. Environmental Issues 13.1 Impact of Farming on the Environment 13.2 Wildlife and Conservation Policy 13.3 Unproductive Sites 14. Complaint Forms 15. Internal Audit REFERENCE PAGES 1. Generic Reference Pages 1.1 Dragon Fruit Farm Register 1.2 Dragon fruit product cycle 1.3 References related to Dragon fruit GAP production and packing 1.4 Farmer/Packer Supply Contract 1.5 Schedule of costs 2. Exporter Reference Pages 3. Packer Reference Pages 3.1 Packhouse basket/crate docket 3.2 Process basket/crate check 3.3 Baskets/crates unloaded onto grading conveyor 3.4 Packer Purchasing Policy and Supplier Approval 3.5 Packer Quality Policy Statement 3.6 Quality Management System Policy Statement 3.7 Scope of Quality management System 3.8 Packer Harvesting Container Policy 3.9 Packer Knife & Scissor Policy 34 3.10 NewEmployee Procedure 3.11 Personnel, Visitors and Contractors 3.12 Maintenance Policy 3.13 Rodent Bait Station Map 3.14 Watch Policy 3.15 Quality sampling systems protocol for Dragon fruit 3.16 The Packhouse Management Team Terms of Reference 3.17 Position Descriptions List/File 3.18 Position Description Template 3.19.1 Position Description #1 – Packhouse Manager 3.19.2 Position Description #2 – HACCP Manager 3.19.3 Position Description #3 – Internal Auditor 3.19.4 Position Description #4 – Quality Assurance Manager 3.19.5 Position Description #5 – Quality Controller 3.19.6 Position Description #6 – Marketing Manager 3.19.7 Position Description #7 – Administration Officer 3.19.8 Position Description #8 – Administration Assistant 3.19.9 Position Description #9 – Fruit Receipts 3.19.10 Position Description #10 – Fruit Marshaller 3.19.11 Position Description #11 – Fruit Loader 3.19.12 Position Description #12 – Grader 3.19.13 Position Description #13 – Machine Operator 3.19.14 Position Description #14 – Check Grader 3.19.15 Position Description #15 – Crate Loader 3.19.16 Position Description #16 – Packer 3.19.17 Position Description #17 – Stacker 3.19.18 Position Description #18 – Transport Supervisor 3.19.19 Position Description #19 – Transporter 3.19.20 Position Description #20 – Transport Loader 3.19.21 Position Description #21 – Cleaner 3.19.22 Position Description #22 – Packaging Office 3.19.23 Position Description #23 – Packaging Assistant 4. Farmer Reference Pages DEFINITIONS 35 APPENDIX 5 BRC COPYRIGHT APPROVAL FOR THE DRAGON FRUIT QUALITY MANUAL BRC Global Standards - Food will be applied to packer/exporter: • Accredited certification bodies evaluate companies to confirm conformity of product with the specified requirements laid down within the BRC Technical Standards • Evaluation by the certification bodies will be carried out at a specified frequency to demonstrate the continued conformity of the certified product within the required standard. BRC copyright approval was given provided that the purchase of the BRC Global Standard – Food is made for each packhouse. This Dragon fruit manual is to be used in accordance with the CARD copyright requirements. The implementation of this manual must be delivered by suitably qualified personnel. Only those certification bodies who have accreditation to ISO/IEC Guide 65 with a scope, which includes meeting the requirements of the standard (or actively seeking accreditation to ISO/IEC Guide 65), shall carry out evaluations against a BRC Standard and issue appropriate certificates.