The seven-day training of trainers (TOT) course on Good Agricultural and Postharvest Practices in Fresh Produce commenced on Monday, August 25, 2014 at Mekong Institute (MI). On behalf of MI Director, Ms. Maria Theresa Medialdia, Rural Development Program Manager, welcomed all participants and emphasized on the objective of the program, which aimed to enhance the trainers’ skills in promoting produce quality and safety through good agricultural and postharvest practices in fresh produce. 

Sixteen potential trainers from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) were selected from the pool of participants who participated in the MI modular training courses on “Improving Food Quality and Safety through Good Agricultural and Postharvest Practices in Fresh Produce” held during 2012 and 2013. These trainers are trained not only on the technical aspects of GAP and Postharvest systems, but also on the basics of planning, delivering and evaluating a training program. As part of the training course, the participants are required to organize and serve as trainers in a three-day training program on GAP for 15-20 agricultural extension staff in their respective countries to test the GAP training package developed during their training. 

This training program is part of the project on ‘Capacity Development Programme for Integrating CLMV Economies into AEC’ funded by New Zealand Aid Programme (NZAP).