Department of Crop Protection, Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary of the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA), Kandal Provincial Department of Agriculture, and the Mekong Institute jointly organized a localized training on “Good Agricultural and Postharvest Practices in Fresh Produce” at the Provincial Department of Agriculture, Kandal province on November 11-13, 2014. Twenty four of agricultural extension workers and farmer-leaders from districts and provincial level attended the training course, the aim of which is to improve the participants’ understanding of GAP in promoting quality and safety in vegetable produce. Serving as trainers are the four Cambodian alumni of the Mekong Institute training-of- trainers (TOT) course on GAP who developed the training package for this course. 

Mr. Hou Sophal, Deputy Director of Kandal Provincial Department of Agriculture and Mr. Mean Chetna, Representative of Department of Crop Protection, Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary of GDA welcomed all the participants. Mr. Hou Sophal emphasized in his opening remarks the significance of the GAP approach as a guide to ensure and promote safe food production and sustainable resource management. This will result to healthy foods and better food quality while taking into account economical, social, and environmental sustainability, creating new market opportunities for farmers and exporters particularly in the context of integration of ASEAN Economy Community (AEC) by 2015. At the end of his remark, he encouraged the extension workers and farmer-leaders to pay attention to the training course and to continue to support and encourage farmers to apply the principles of Good Agricultural Practice in their farms.