Caribbean Produce Exchange trains farmers to comply with new federal standards
Caribbean Produce Exchange Inc. (CPE) recently offered a training workshop for agribusinesses to ensure that the management of their crops and farms products meet the new parameters established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
The free workshop offered to CPE agribusiness, customers and suppliers included scientific resources, agronomists and other technical support tools to perform the rigorous audits that allow them to distribute their products to chains, supermarkets, restaurants and other sectors of the food industry in compliance with the new federal standards that will become effective January 2020.
“As part of the alliances we have with our farmers, customers and food industry suppliers, we have proactively developed these training and guidance workshops to offer them FSMA information, to be able to access the necessary technical resources and tools that allow them to continue developing their crops so as not to lag behind these new federal parameters,” said CPE President Angel R. Santiago.
CPE invited the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture and PRIMEX, to join this initiative, he said. More than 40 agribusinesses from all over the island took part in the event.
Starting in January, farms and agro-industrial projects must comply with FMSA regulations to sell and distribute their products in Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland.
