Dominica’s Cocoa Industry to Get Quality Helping Hand

Dominica’s cocoa bean and cocoa industry will be in for a helping hand from July 27, 2021, when the Dominica Bureau of Standards and the Dominica Export Import Agency, in conjunction with the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) component of the 11^th European Development Fund (EDF), Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Programme, host a value chain workshop.

The workshop will bring together all the stakeholders in the growth, production and sale of cocoa in Dominica, as well as buyers to discuss the quality-related issues in the value chain and find possible solutions to those challenges.

Dominica is one of five countries in CARIFORUM, which will be hosting these quality fora with specific export-related value chains, with a view to boosting those exports by providing higher quality products for the respective markets. This thrust fits well within the overall aim of the TBT component of the 11^th EDF, which is to close quality-related gaps in key value chains, sectors and organisations.

As the main quality infrastructure agency in country, the Dominica Bureau of Standards will lead the charge nationally for the quality support mechanisms and systems for the industry, alongside and working in concert with the Dominica Export Import Agency through its Cocoa Cluster Development Project.

The workshop, entitled, “Quality Relevant Opportunities and Problems in the Cocoa Sector for National and Tourism Use and Regional Export – From Cocoa Bean to Tea Value Chain in the Commonwealth of Dominica and Options for QI Response”, will be held at the Goodwill Parish Hall. It will be coordinated and facilitated by Dr. Ian Lambert.

It will run until July 29 and at the end will present an Action Plan for the cocoa industry and the national quality infrastructure to further address the issues identified in discussions with sector stakeholders to enable the provision of technical assistance required to improve the quality and competitiveness of the cocoa stick/balls produced locally.

About 11^th EDF-TBT Project

Implementation of the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Component of the 11^th European Development Fund (EDF) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Programme started in September 2019. It is funded by the European Union, through the CARIFORUM Directorate, managed by the German National Metrology Institute (PTB) and jointly implemented by the PTB, CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards & Quality (CROSQ) and the Dominican Institute for Quality (INDOCAL).“Support to CARIFORUM States in Furthering the Implementation of their Economic Partnership Agreement Commitments and in Meaningfully Reaping the Benefits of the Agreement”

The overall 11^th EDF-EPA Programme’s objective is to contribute to the integration of the CARIFORUM into the world economy with the specific objective to facilitate the effective operation of the EPA. One means of ensuring the EPA provides the intended benefits to CARIFORUM States is through the improvement of trade and competitiveness by reducing TBTs, through a modernized national and regional Quality Infrastructure. The TBT Component aims to contribute to the Programme’s overall and specific objectives by increasing the use of internationally recognised Regional Quality Infrastructure (RQI) by the regional and national quality institutions and by the private sector. Benefits include the identification and closing of quality gaps in key sectors and organisations; the promotion of a quality culture in the region; and, the strengthening of the RQI.

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