For the first time a EurepGAP certificate is awarded to a Moldovan Company

Codru-ST has demonstrated that Moldovan Agribusinesses can successfully implement European Standards of Good Agricultural Practice, achieving a competitive advantage in international markets

Challenge

Moldova, with its fertile land and good crop production climate, has a long tradition of cultivating fruits and vegetables for export. However, existing farm management systems for fruit and vegetable production do not meet the challenges posed by a highly competitive, modern, global economy. The need for change became increasingly evident as Moldovan growers attempted to enter new European markets, where buyers demanded that producers prove that they had implemented Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) throughout the production chain.

The worldwide leader in GAP standards is known as EurepGAP®. Created by European Retailers, this Standard specifies EU requirements for safe food production, farm worker health and safety, and environmental protection. It is a voluntary scheme, and growers can choose to be inspected and - if they meet the required standard – growers can be EurepGAP® certified. EurepGAP® certification brings confidence to business partners and consumers, and helps companies to compete on EU markets. Indeed, many major Western European retailers will only buy from growers who have been inspected and EurepGAP® certified. Meeting EurepGAP® requirements is recognized globally as a tough challenge, and until recently very few people in Moldova could imagine that a local company would succeed in becoming EurepGAP® certified.

Initiative

The Agribusiness Development Project (ADP), financed by USAID and implemented by CNFA, assists Moldova fruit and vegetable producers to increase exports, thus raising rural incomes and employment. The perceived lack of Moldovan compliance with international GAP standards meant that international companies were reluctant to collaborate with Moldovan producers. To overcome this misconception and change the situation for Moldovan producers, ADP organized a series of activities. Firstly, EurepGAP® regulations and control points for fruit and vegetable production were translated into Romanian and, in co-operation with the European Retailers’ Organization, were placed on the EurepGAP® website for public access. Secondly, a clear, easy to follow ADP Guide to Implementing EurepGAP® requirements was developed, and used in training offered to Moldovan professionals and farm managers. Lastly, a supporting network of local trainers and consultants was created, to secure the continuity of the training and implementation process. In less than one year, ADP provided intensive training and on-site demonstration sessions to 334 consultants, professionals, managers and farmers.

Codru-ST Company, a leading apple exporter from Moldova, participated in the program from the first training. Both management and employees showed strong commitment to implementing EurepGAP® requirements, in order to increase export opportunities on strategic EU markets.

Results

With the help of the USAID funded, ADP-trained consultants, Codru-ST developed on-farm systems that demonstrate and ensure GAP for food safety, employee health and safety, and protection of the environmental, to the EurepGAP® standards required by leading EU retailers.

The company excelled in the speed, efficiency and commitment with which it implemented the requirements - in just nine months after their first training. In November 2006 Codru-ST became the first company in the Community of Independent States (CIS) to receive EurepGAP® certification. Now it has more and better opportunities to increase exports to EU markets, where the price for apple varieties cultivated by Codru-ST – “Golden”, “De Costa” and “Gala” – is 30% higher than on CIS markets. Codru-ST has average exports of 2,500 tons of apples per year.

Codru-ST’s success has encouraged other fruit and vegetable producers companies to follow this path and more Moldovan growers/exporters are expected to be EurepGAP® certified in 2007.

Quote:

By implementing EUREPGAP® standards, from primary production to the packaging of our final products, we, Codru-ST, have became more competitive and have created the possibility to deliver our fresh products to major European retailers
                                   --Ion Chilianu, Codru ST Director