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| MPS progress in China | |
| On May 24th 2006, the start-up ceremony of the Sino-Dutch MPS flower certification program was held in Beijing. Along with Ms. Jiang Zehui, President of the China Flower Association (CFA), Mr. Sun Dawei, Director of the Certification and Accreditation Adminstration of the Peoples Republic of China (CNCA), Mr. Cees Veerman, the Netherlands Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and Mr. Theo de Groot, of the Dutch MPS certification organization, participated. Last December, the Dutch government approved the use of the Holland/Asia Fund to finance the MPS/CNCA program in China. Both sides plan to introduce and found the MPS certification scheme in China within the 2 year period from the 1st April 2006 to 1st April 2008. They hope the certification system will contribute to the reduction in the use of agrochemicals and to reduce the consumption of unrenewable resources in the process of growing ornamemental horticultural products. The aim of the collaboration is the development of a certification system for the Chinese floricultural industry. This system will be aimed in the first instance at the environment, but can be extended on request to certification schemes for quality and social aspects (i.e. MPS GAP, MPS Socially Qualified, MPS Florimark). MPS has now grown into an authoritative certification organisation that assesses and certifies the performance of its 4,000 members in the areas of the environment, quality and social aspects. MPS has some 4,000 members worldwide in Europe, Africa, South and Central America and Asia. The CNCA also hope that the certification system will improve the image and competitiveness of Chinese ornamental horticultural companies in the world market. As part of the agreement, in a memorandum signed last August both sides agreed a strategic plan for the cooperation including the improvement of product quality, protecting consumer interest, improving awareness of growers and traders of the importance to protect the environment and respect plant breeder’s rights. Mr. Cees Veerman pointed out that China has the largest flower production extension in the world and the Country represents great market potential for the consumption of flowers. But China still needs to improve in the field of plant breeding, research & development and standards of production. He also hopes that both sides will improve communications concerning technology, information and training. www.my-mps.com www.cnca.gov.cn |
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