BUILDING CAPACITY OF LITCHI PRODUCERS AND EXPORTERS IN MADAGASCAR

BUILDING CAPACITY OF LITCHI PRODUCERS AND EXPORTERS IN MADAGASCAR TO ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE WITH SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES (SPS) MARKET ACCESS REQUIEREMENTS IN REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
(2015 and 2016 – MADAGASCAR: Antananarivo, Tamatave, Manakara)

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) supported a bilateral initiative between Madagascar and South Africa that was initiated in 2013 by means of funding additional technical capacity of PhytoSolutions PRA experts to support the two National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) respectively throughout the pest risk analysis (PRA) process and the plant health bilateral negotiations that followed.

   A bilateral agreement was concluded in 2015 as a direct outcome of this COMESA project and Madagascar gained market access for fresh litchi fruit to South Africa.   

It became apparent in 2015 that compliance issues were still preventing beneficiaries to make full use of the benefits of market access.  A follow-up project to specifically develop the capacity of public and private sector entities in Madagascar to comply with sanitary and phytosanitary conditions for import of litchis into the South African market was developed and PhytoSolutions experts were contracted to provide training and assist with pest monitoring and surveillance. The project is performed for COMESA and funded by the Technical Cooperation Facility (TCF). 

The project was developed around two specific objectives:
Objective 1: To establish an appropriate SPS management system, in compliance with the bilaterally agreed import conditions (this includes development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for inspectors and guides for producers and exporters)
Objective 2: Training and building the capacity of producers, exporters and inspectors to carry out their specific roles/functions and fulfil all phytosanitary import requirements.

A Market Access SPS Work Plan, that includes a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document for inspectors, a Growers Guide on Good Agronomic Practices for producers, and a Guideline Manual for pack houses and exporters was developed and documented.  These documents were used as part of a training package for the training workshops in Tamatave, Antananarivo and Manakara in August 2015 and July 2016.  It documents a SPS management system that is fully compliant with import conditions
A Fruit Fly Survey Action Plan was compiled and successfully implemented for Ceratitis malgassa and Bactrocera dorsalis to support the approval of compliant production units
A Quarantine Pathogens Survey Action Plan was compiled and successfully implemented detection of the fungus Phytophthora palmivora to support the approval of compliant production units
Approval of litchi production units for export to South Africa based on the surveys conducted by the NPPO and PhytoSolutions national consultant, Dr Stephan Randrianangaly.
Training workshops were conducted in Madagascar in August 2015 and July 2016 to build capacity and ensure that producers and exporters understand the requirements of the South African market in terms of the phytosanitary bilateral protocol for litchi fruit as well as the appropriate food safety and quality management regulations that apply. PowerPoint presentations were used to do theoretical training for each group (NPPO, exporters and producers) on the different areas of the protocol and related information that are relevant.  Handouts were used during the training.  PhytoSolutions Consultant, Mr George Hendrikse, provided inspectors and exporters with on-site training on pack house management and phytosanitary inspections.