USAID-funded Agribusiness Development Project (ADP) Organized a One-Day Conference on International Quality Standards for Moldovan Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

The Agribusiness Development Project (ADP), funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs (CNFA), organized a one-day conference on international quality standards for Moldovan fresh fruits and vegetables. The conference was held on Thursday, May 4 in the White Room of the Codru Hotel, beginning at 9:15.

Around 100 participants, including government officials, researchers, agricultural producers, processors, retailers, and industry representatives, attended the event. The forum provided an important opportunity for discussion of international quality standards and certification requirements, with the ultimate aim of assisting Moldovan agribusinesses to successfully compete in the EU and in other markets. Participants had the chance to learn about Moldovan agribusiness enterprises who are successfully competing in the international marketplace as a result of high quality standards of their fruits and vegetables. Equally important, the event highlighted the crucial responsibility of a company's top executive management in the implementation of complete quality control systems.

Since its inception in 2004, ADP has provided technical assistance and training to over two dozen enterprises and 300 producers. ADP seeks to give farmers and agribusiness improved access to new export markets; it also provides training in food safety and quality management, assisting Moldova’s fresh fruit and vegetable sector to meet Western standards.