A localized training on postharvest safe food handling for green leafy vegetables was held on October 19 in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province. Organized under the New Zealand Aid Programme-funded PROSAFE Project, the one-day training was attended by 26 representatives of fresh vegetable producers and agro-processors from Ho Chi Minh City as well as the provinces of Lam Dong, Can Tho, Da Nang, and Quang Tri.

The training focused on discussing how to reduce postharvest losses and maintain the safety of fresh produce in the region. The lead trainers, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Cong and Ms. Le Thi Le Hang, recently participated in Mekong Institute’s safe food course in September 2018. At the localized training, both shared their personal experiences in working with vegetable producers and processors in promoting food safety. They also presented new information they learned from the MI course including relevant postharvest techniques used in the Greater Mekong Subregion and New Zealand.  

Ms. Le Thi Tra My, an agronomist and quality control officer from SFO Joint Stock Company, shared that the training provided new insights useful in her work. “I learned many new practical information related to postharvest handling, especially on the proper treatment, storage, and transportation of vegetables,” she explained. Mr. Phan Hong Vinh, manager of NaroVeggies, Co., remarked that more similar trainings should be provided especially to farmers and processors in the province. “Trainings like these would be very helpful in reminding farmers and companies how to make sure their products are safe.”

The activity is part of the post-training outreach activities of MI’s five-year food safety project. The project hopes to strengthen public and private partnerships on promoting food safety among fresh horticultural value chains in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam.