Ministry of Commerce And Supplies - Enhanced Integrated ...

N T I S2010MRLs as well as environmental side effects. While this may be true for other commodities it may not be so fortea. 16 There are no CODEX standards set for tea as yet, although some preliminary work has been conducted.It is the intention of the DFTQC to prioritize the setting of standards in the preparation of manuals based onCODEX/ISO in making original listings. A Nepal tea standard has been set. The overall limiting factors arestricter than the Indian standard. The Nepal Government tea standard complies with ISO 3720 internationallyaccepted parameters for made tea.Buyers expect exporters to meet internationally accepted and importing country standards that have been setfor MRLs and heavy metals. The usual way in which compliance is enforced by the buyer is through insistenceon TPC for growing, handling, and traceability practices put in place by the seller. Such certification wouldinclude an in-house programme of testing for MRLs. Due to the lack of acceptable TPC in Nepal, buyers areincreasingly asking for a pesticide MRL certificate on a consignment/batch basis. This exercise takes aboutthree weeks, and is expensive. Since there are no suitable laboratories in Nepal equipped to carry out all therequired tests nor is there a suitably accredited TCP certification company in the country, samples are sent toIndian or other foreign laboratories, a costly and timeconsuming exercise. Within this context, adherence toPRPs, including GAPs and GMPs, which together with the Code of Conduct (CoC) drawn up by the Tea Allianceare steps in the right direction to achieve the goal of full TPC.The tea grower CoC was developed by the Global Development Alliance for Tea Crops with the participationof GTZ, USAID, Winrock, FNCCI, AEC, NTCDB, SNV, HOTPA and HIMCOOP to improve tea productionstandards in Nepal. The CoC is based on standards outlined by IFOAM/CODEX/The International Social andEnvironmental Accreditation and Labeling (ISEAL) and Alliance and Social Accountability International. Oncethe CoC is implemented, the next step would be the creation of an agency to assess and issue certificatesindependently on the product conforming to GAP and GMP practices as a necessary first step to obtainingHACCP certification. Some factories in the hill areas have already been successful or are in the process ofobtaining these certifications. Financial assistance for certification costs of up to 20% is being considered asa package by some donor agencies. UNIDO assistance with technical guidance from FAO on the necessaryequipment and testing of tea is underway. This will enable the DFTQC to test tea for various properties, MRLsand, if required, microbiology. The NTCDB has conducted a study that identifies new tea production areas ofvirgin land for growing of organic tea.At the outset, it is crucial to understand that the TPC such as HACCP actually reduces the frequency of foodtesting of the end product, particularly in terms of pesticide MRLs. Thus, while pesticide testing is a crucialservice for exporters, the total need for it by any individual enterprise is lessened when the TPC substitutes inpart for the existing necessity for testing of each and every shipment of tea shipped to Europe. Strengtheningof the National Tea Development Alliance and its components such as HIMCOOP, the Nepal Tea PlantersAssociation, so that members can certify that facilities are available for the blend mix to be achieved underhygienically accepted conditions in premises that have acceptable HACCP systems (including PRPs) in place.These PRPs include GAPS with proper environmental safeguards and correct use of agricultural inputs, notablyagrochemicals. To ensure that factories and packaging plants are fit for the purpose, the PRPs should beextended there as well, as part of the overall HACCP programme.The basic premise that needs to be understood at the outset is that the certification of tea exportsprimarily rests on market demands. The requirements in Europe are determined by the EU standards forpermitted/tolerated residues and microbiology. Importers usually require proof of compliance by their tradingpartners by the production of TPC, which, in turn, is based on a systems approach taken by the supplier toensure compliance. The interventions proposed for government in this arena, therefore, need to be carefullythought out.16See, for example Pramod Koirala, Nawa Raj Dahal, Jiwan Prava Lama, Uttam Kumar Bhattarai Assessment of Certain Pesticide Residues inNepalese Tea, Journal of Food Science and Technology Nepal Vol. 4, September, 2008, pp 31-33NEPAL TRADE INTEGRATION STRATEGY 2010BACKGROUND REPORT201