Cameroon: Working week for the implementation of COLEACP R-SAT tool

A week-long workshop was held in early January in Kribi, bringing together the private and public sectors involved in the mango value chain (fresh and dried), to discuss the implementation of COLEACP’s Rapid SPS Assessment Tool (R-SAT).

The tool and its roll-out are supported by the Fit For Market SPS programme, continuing COLEACP’s activities in support of Cameroon’s horticultural sector and Department of Regulation and Quality Control of Agricultural Products and Inputs (DRCQ). R-SAT supports Competent Authorities to assess the current status and functioning of their sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems, in conjunction with key stakeholders from the public and private sectors.

The tool, introduced in Cameroon in September 2021, will enable the development of a prioritised action plan by agri-food value chains to strengthen national SPS systems, and to ensure their alignment with international standards and regulations.

This January workshop was attended by 18 participants, including representatives of several ministries and the Cameroon Mango Task Force, as well as three expert trainers. This successful meeting provided a platform for those involved to propose an action plan to improve the national SPS system for the sector.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market SPS programme, implemented by COLEACP within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union.