Product traceability system to be set up this year

THE Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Agriculture (DA) are designing a product traceability system to meet international standards and secure the country’s share in the global market for agro-industrial products.

A three-year joint project dubbed Program on Philippine Traceability for Revitalized Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement (P-Trace) was already discussed among concerned government agencies for possible foreign funding assistance, DTI said Thursday.

“In supporting this program, DA and DTI have taken active roles in developing a traceability system not just to improve the competitiveness of our agro-industrial products but also to assist our marginalized farmers,” explained DTI Undersecretary for Regional Operations and Development Group Merly Cruz.

Through the traceability system, “the movement of food products in the supply chain will be tracked to document distribution and production inputs and processes. The system will help identify the cause of any food safety concern or quality problem for stakeholders to take prompt corrective measures.”

Cruz said the P-Trace is expected to be implemented within this year. “We already identified five priority projects in the agriculture and fisheries sector: banana chips and crackers, fresh and processed pineapples, desiccated coconut, chilled tuna and dried mango.”

With P-Trace in place, farmers and food producers are expected to meet international food quality, safety and traceability standards, guaranteeing that local products are safe and “do not run into barriers to trade.” (CGC)