The livelihood component of the European Union-funded, Mangroves Restoration Project, recently benefited from technical assistance from the Inter-American Institute for Corporation on Agriculture (IICA).According to Ignatius Jean, IICA Representative in Guyana, providing assistance to the Mangroves Restoration Women’s Group is part of the organization’s mandate in helping rural people.IICA is involved in several areas of development including: agriculture health and food safety, development in rural spaces, in agro-business development, in agro-tourism.The organization engaged the women’s group in a Health and Food Safety workshop,Jerseys NFL Cheap, aimed at enhancing the quality of their products, hence contributing to the sustainability of the restoration project. The workshop was held at the Mangroves Reserves Visitors’ Centre,Bobby Orr Jersey, Victoria,Cheap Jerseys From China, East Coast Demerara.The organization has already worked with other women’s groups in Guyana,Throwback Jerseys, such as the Pomeroon Women. Jean related that IICA’s Health and Food Safety Specialist has spent a lot of years to help the women move up, and the progress is evident.The body is hoping to share similar experiences with the Women of the Mangrove Restoration Project. The Health and Food Safety Specialist training targets best practices in production, hygiene factor, and health and food safety issues.In addition, the organizational structures of the group will be addressed to help them better manage their businesses. The group will also be linked with a grouping that was just formed in collaboration with Volunteer Services Overseas, Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and Food and Drug Analyst Department (FDA).IICA will assist the women in establishing network so they can build synergy; source many needed supplies that cannot be found locally, and exchange skills and techniques.The women’s group is now venturing into the market with their products including bottled pepper sauce, green seasoning, and honey, candles, and juices.According to Dr. Maxine Aaron-Parris, Health and Food Safety Specialist, of IICA, the training session was held to reinforce knowledge known to agro-processors and expose them to new ideas of extending the life of their products.Dr. Parris said that agro-processors need to commence the production process with quality input, so that it can be maintained with a good quality output. Whenever, the production line starts with a bad product input the quality of the product is compromised.She stated that sanitation and hygiene is important to the finished product. There are various factors which affect the quality and safety of a product along the food chain. For instance, washing hands, attire and operation surfaces all impact food safety.There is an ongoing attempt to ensure that food handlers are properly prepared, for example,Cheap NFL Jerseys, the FDA has a two-day training programme that could be accessed by agro-processors to ensure licencing,Authentic Kyle Korver Hawks Jersey, in terms of good health, Dr. Parris said.Moreover, the personnel from the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency are the competent bodies which inspect the locations of agro-processors operations to issue certificate. Therefore, agro-processors need to conduct their operations in sanitary conditions.In some instances, foods are processed in healthy environments but they spoil easily. This occurs because some simple details are bypassed such as sterilizing packages before usage. |