Sindh: Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP) conducted trainings for the Sindh Food Authority officials on the safety standards of meat in Karachi and Hyderabad from 30 November till 5 December 2020. Funded by the European Union Delegation in Pakistan, and implemented by the International Trade Centre, GRASP is a six-year project working to improve the small and medium enterprises in Sindh and Balochistan, ultimately creating jobs and reducing poverty.
It is important for Pakistani produce to be clean, packaged properly, and be up to date with the market standards as national and international trade is promoted. The Sindh Food Authority officials were trained in international best practises, licencing, compliance, and food surveillance among other topics.
Secretary Food Haleem Shaikh expressed his appreciation for European Union and ITC for the capacity building support for Sindh Food Authority. He said that ‘’this is a wonderful initiative taken by GRASP in Sindh. It marks the beginning of a new era of enhancing and strengthening SFA staff capacity in professional performance and execution of their duties, followed by an overall institutional capacity assessment of SFA, also supported by GRASP’’. Shaikh said that collaboration between public and private sectors was vital for sustainable progress.
While speaking to the participants, Aftab Bhatti of World Food Programme appreciated GRASP efforts, and stressed on the need to have food safety standards and SPS compliance ensured at all levels, in order for the people to have safe, healthy, and nutritious food.
GRASP Provincial Lead for Sindh Ms. Shabnam Baloch acknowledged the participants for their enthusiastic participation, and accentuated the significance of ITC’s partnership with Sindh Food Authority to improve the quality of processed food and awareness among consumers, retailers and processors.
GRASP is working to build the capacity of Pakistan’s institutions by training its officials to be equipped with all the knowledge to make them market competitive. The training on food safety standards will enhance the technical and professional capacities of the officials, and enable them to follow internationally recognized food safety standards to ensure SPS compliance