Agriculture and Agribusiness

Horticulture for Export Markets

An export horticulture business fails on rejection rather than on production, and rejections are usually about residues, documentation or a cold chain break rather than about how the crop grew. This course is built around the requirements of the buyer. Delegates work through market requirements and the protocols that govern access, including maximum residue limits, phytosanitary requirements and the private standards retailers impose beyond the law. Crop production is covered with the spray programme designed backwards from the residue limits of the destination market. Pre harvest intervals are treated as a commercial control. Harvest maturity and handling are addressed for the specific crops exported from the region. Pack house operations follow: reception, grading, sizing, packing and labelling. Cold chain is addressed from field heat removal through to the aircraft or vessel. Traceability and record keeping are covered, since an audit failure closes a market. Certification is addressed. The course closes on rejection investigation and on building a relationship with a buyer.