Workshops on Good Agriculture Practice Audit begin in Dominica

The OECS Commission in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture IICA under the 10th EDF programme will be conducting a series of train the trainer programmes in Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) Audit commencing in Dominica on March 30th at the Flamboyant Hotel. The three-day training programme includes classroom sessions and the practical exercise of auditing a selected farm.

The course, which aims to provide an understanding of the key role of GAP auditing in improving farm operations and ensuring the safety of food produced will demonstrate the need to regularly assess farm management systems and practices and to measure performance. The course will outline different approaches to establishing GAP audit programmes, describe the key stages of audit planning and preparation; on-site activities and post audit reporting. It will also examine the skills and techniques required to carry out effective audits.

The GAP audit training course is designed for extension officers and private sector stakeholders along the value chain in the OECS and will enable them to assist farmers in attaining high standards of food safety and quality performance. In particular the extension officers and private sector stakeholders will receive training in conducting gap audits of farms with the ultimate goal of allowing these farms (or produce from the farm) to be certified under an appropriate system for inspection and certification.

The training schedule involves: Dominica from March 30th to April 1st, Saint Lucia from April 4th to 8th, Saint Kitts and Nevis from April 11th to 15th, Antigua and Barbuda from April 18th to 22nd as well as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines during the week of April 25