Investigation of Diagnostic Requirements to Service Various Value-Added Industries
Preliminary market access priorities were identified by the Vanuatu Market Access Working Group in February 2011 and included in the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Program (PHAMA) 3-Month Strategic Plan for April to June 2011. This report covers one of the two priorities included for Vanuatu – investigation of diagnostic requirements to service various value-added industries.
The value-added industries included in the terms of reference for this study were cocoa, copra meal, virgin coconut oil, kava, vanilla and small quantities of other spices. During discussions with commercial and government representatives it was found that diagnostic related issues also existed for a range of other current and potential export industries, namely copra (rather than copra meal), coffee, nuts (fresh and for oil), frozen root crops, dried fruit and vegetables, and dietary supplements. No issues were identified for copra meal and coconut oil. Overarching issues were identified with a lack of capacity to conduct basic testing and inspections for food safety issues.
Key words: diagnostic, cocoa, copra meal, virgin coconut oil, kava, vanilla, spices, coffee, nuts, frozen root crops, dried fruit and vegetables, dietary supplements, microbial and water quality testing
