KIGALI - Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RBS) has embarked on training the National Agricultural Export Board (NAEB) and cooperatives specialising in horticulture farming to ensure quality production.

20 people Friday completed a four-day training workshop on the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO).

The training focused on the Global Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) which also aimed at equipping trainees with skills in Food Safety Management Systems.

"We shall train others, from farmers in various cooperatives, to the processors, mainly about the expected or required standard of production,” said James Munanura, one of the trainees in charge of monitoring and evaluation at NAEB.

Another trainee, Diana Butera Uwantege, said that skills acquired would help farmers modernize ways of dealing with perishable products.

"It is also important that we shall share with cooperatives the best practices in keeping products safe,” Uwantege said.

Speaking to The New Times shortly after the training, the Head of Industry Inspection at RBS, Shukur Bizimungu, said the move is to ensure that Rwanda maintains quality for both exports and home consumption.

"Currently, the national target with NAEB effort is to ensure that our products are of high quality to suite international market standards,” Bizimungu said.

He pointed out that the strategy is to establish safety measures across the food chain to meet certification.  

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