With the new laboratory for the analysis of toxic residues of bovine, porcine and poultry meat, which will begin to operate as of March 2021, Panama will be able to begin exporting to the US market.
Due to the fact that the country so far lacks a laboratory to certify the quality of the meat, Panama cannot export to the United States, however, authorities announced that next year the situation will change.
In Guatemala, Intecap tenders the service of the certifying entity, to perform the follow-up audit and re-certification of the Quality Management System of the institution, certified under the International Standard ISO 9001:2015.
Guatemala Government Purchase 12156469:
"The Quality Audits will include at least the following subject matter:
-Verification of the fulfillment of the System of Management of the Quality of the INTECAP -SGCI- by means of the Audit of Pursuit and the Audit of Re-certification, applying the International Norm ISO 9001:2015, Systems of Management of the Quality, requirements.
Because Panama lacks the certifications required by the U.S. country, authorities of that country are analyzing the possibility of exporting through certification in a laboratory in Honduras.
According to the authorities of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA), the U.S. authorities agree that Panama should certify the quality of the meat through analysis by Honduran laboratories.
Certification processes in Good Manufacturing Practices in companies in the sectors of food and beverage and pharmaceutics will be financed by up to 80%.
Support for the program "Export to Quality" aims at improving the level of quality defined by companies in the food and beverage and pharmaceutical chemist, so that they can access markets in the United States and Central America, complying with regulations and standards of product quality demanded by consumers. The program provides certification in Good Manufacturing Practices through the development of specialized training modules and technical assistance given to participating companies for which the financial support of 80% of program costs will be provided and linkages will be made with other funding sources such as FONDEPRO and Bandesal to develop projects that improve the productive infrastructure of the participating companies.
The air link with the capital is one of the reasons behind the increase in the supply of rooms in the province, a number which is expected to rise to 3,000 by the end of the year.
Currently the Tourism Authority of Chiriqui is running a pilot scheme to improve the quality of the hotels in the province, since most are rated at three stars. At the end of 2014 only 700 rooms offered 5-star amenities and average costs range between $80 and $300.
If it wants to compete in the big leagues of single-origin coffee, the Nicaraguan coffee sector must focus on getting designations of origin.
In Nicaragua there are five areas that are considered to be those with the highest levels of quality and these have great potential for certification of designation of origin and geographical indications. Competition for position in the demanding international market becomes fiercer if you do not have this certification.
The union of producers and exporters estimates the manual for interpretation of the rules for cattle and sheep will be ready in November this year.
From a statement issued by the Association of Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua (APEN):
The Association of Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua (APEN) will start preparing, on 10 July, the guide for interpretation of the rules for cattle and sheep, known as Globalgap, said Azucena Castillo, general manager of the association. "We have set a meeting to begin work on developing guidance for the interpretation of the standard for cattle and sheep. In this meeting we will introduce the topic and explain the procedure established by Globalgap" Castillo said.
A Dutch study presents the expectations of importers of flowers and foliage in terms of sustainability, certification, required standards and other practices.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands has conducted a study detailing the expectations of consumers and importers of flowers and foliage in European countries, consumer preferences, procedures and techniques used in the production and transfer of flowers, labeling, relevance of certification of products, and definition of sustainability, among other things.
Products entering the South Korean market must apply for certification from the Health Authority of that country.
From the 1st of January the Asian nation has required that imported organic products have a certificate, which must be requested from the Sanitary Authority of Korea (QIA) .
From an article by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER) :
A little over a year after the launch of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council seal of approval there are now over 500 certified aquaculture products which have been released onto the world's markets.
From an article by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
In the world market there are over 500 aquaculture products certified under the seal ASC, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (a nonprofit organization that certifies the sustainability of aquaculture products) a year and a few months since the launch of this new certificate.
"Global Gap" and "Fair Trade", are the most required certifications when exporting agricultural products.
From an article by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
The most sought after quality seals this year by the major agricultural export markets are Global Gap, which applies to fruits and vegetables, and Fair Trade, which ensures companies are socially responsible, said Armando Bonifaz, specialist in certifications marks and general manager of the certifying entity BCS OKO Garantie.
Hotel Byblos in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica joins the prestigious list of Hotels earning the distinguished Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence as voted by world travelers.
Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica—June 13, 2013–Hotel Byblos Resort has announced that it has received the prestigious 2013 Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence, honoring top-rated lodging businesses as reviewed by visitors from around the world on Tripadvisor’s popular travel site.
The Guatemalan Tourism Institute has launched the quality label "Q" with which companies will be certified on factors such as business management and customer service.
The tourism quality label will be implemented within three to six months, and seeks to help tourists differentiate quality among its competitors, improve product image and the level of customer satisfaction by continued compliance with quality standards.
Honduran producers and manufacturers in the palm oil chain are seeking certification from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
According to an aricle in Laprensa.hn Victor Iscoa, technical secretary of the African Palm Oil Chain at the Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG in Spanish), said: "From 2015 we are not going to be able to export oil anywhere unless it meets the parameters.