Tadeco now PhilGAP-certified

Monday, January 23, 2012

THE Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. (Tadeco) was issued Philippine Good Agricultural (PhilGAP) certification, which affirmed that the company has met the highest quality standards.

The certification signed by Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala and issued last January 4, 2012 also confirmed that Tadeco's facility ensures food safety, imposes measures to protect the environment and implements programs for cleanliness.

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The certification was awarded by Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Products Standards (DA-BAFPS) OIC director Angelina Bondad to Dr. Benny M. Corcolon, Tadeco vice president for research, information and compliance division. The PhilGAP certification will last until January 3, 2013.

Reagan Navarro, manager of the quality management system, said the certification is a manifestation of the company's desire to meet high quality standards and bragging rights for its meticulous Japanese and Korean market.

"They have very high standards," Navarro said.

Tadeco's market includes the Middle East, Hongkong, Singapore and Russia.

Ryan Pete Zamora, superintendent of the quality management system, said the certification is a big boost to Tadeco's marketability in a very tight competition.

"You don't want to be left behind," Zamora said.

Ensuring food safety is one of Tadeco's priorities in order to be competitive in the global market. This is the reason it invested considerable economic resources in food safety protocol to ensure that the produce items have met the highest quality standards.

The PhilGAP standard is primarily designed to reassure consumers about how food is produced on the farm by assuring food safety, minimizing detrimental environmental impacts of farming operations and ensuring a responsible approach to workers' health, safety, welfare and hygiene.

In 2011, Tadeco, Davao Region's pioneering and top banana exporter, embraced the requirements set forth by PhilGAP since its programs are parallel to the aspirations of the company being a good corporate citizen. Numerous programs related to food safety have been established; partnerships between the management and workers were strengthened to solidify good labor relations; facilities for worker health, safety and hygiene were installed and/or enhanced; programs and policies for environmental protection were established, documented, implemented and/or maintained.

Then, in March and November last year, inspectors from BAFPS, the government agency under the Department of Agriculture that is mandated to formulate and enforce standards of quality in the processing of agricultural products, visited Tadeco to inspect its compliance to the PhilGAP standards.

They also visited packing houses and checked its compliance to food safety standards that included records, cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation. They visited field operations and checked on the facilities designed for workers’ safety, health and hygiene. They visited warehouses to check on proper housekeeping and warehousing, including proper documentation. They evaluated established safety programs of Tadeco to check its sustainability.