19-20 October 2021, Thimphu: A two-day “Training on BhutanGAP Standard and Implementation of Documentation Requirements by Potato Producers for Third-Party Certification” was held in Tashi Yoedling Hotel, Thimphu from 19 to 20 October 2021. The training program was organized by Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority (BAFRA) as part of promoting BhutanGAP certification services as per ISO/IEC 17065 (Conformity Assessment: General Requirements for Bodies Certifying Products, Processes and Services).
A total of 28 participants comprising of potato producers from Geney Geog under Thimphu Dzongkhag, Agriculture Extension officials of Geney and Kawang Geogs under Thimphu Dzongkhag and BhutanGAP auditors from BAFRA took part in the training program.
The program was targeted to a range of stakeholders with specific objectives as follows:
- Farmers or Producers of Geney Gewog, Thimphu Dzongkhag: To prepare farmers to implement BhutanGAP Standard and also understand the documentation requirements for third-party certification.
- Agriculture extension officers of Thimphu Dzongkhag: To promote BhutanGAP Standard and BhutanGAP third-party certification to interested and potential farmers.
- BAFRA-CS auditors: To facilitate the application process for third-party certification and provide technical guidance for BhutanGAP certification
The training sessions consisted of presentations and group works aimed to provide hands-on experience to the producers to maintain documentation for third-party certification as required by the Farm Diary based on BhutanGAP Standard. The resource persons for the program were from the Department of Agriculture, National Potato Program under the National Centre for Organic Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and BAFRA.
-BAFRA
