Standard rules to promote sales, trade

A Standard Laboratory Protocols has been developed jointly by Integrated Development Consultancy (IDC), Mount Digit Technologies and Earth Consult as a part of World Bank funded Project for Agricultural Commercialisation and Trade (PACT).
The components of the standard Laboratory Protocols include seven laboratory standards, one Standard of Operation for vaccine production, one manual on biosecurity in commercial poultry production, one national methodology for risk analysis and two acts for amendment in response to meet the gap in implementing SPS measures by Department of Livestock Services.
The summary of the final report prepared by the joint task team was presented during a workshop in the valley today.
Fifteen workshops were conducted where 260 concerned government officials and private entrepreneurs, and legal expertise took part to guide the draft of Acts and Standards.
The draft report submitted to the technical committee was discussed in April and endorsed the draft reports with some minor comments for further improvement in Final report.
The final report consists of following eight standards including Standard Operating Procedure for production of ND, IBD, Fowl pox, HS, BQ, HS and BQ combined, HS aerosol, Anthrax vaccines; Test protocol for detection of veterinary drug residue in milk meat and eggs; Standards for transport of livestock; Risk assessment method for importation of vaccine, biological and live animals; National microbial standard of meat, milk, egg and MRL of veterinary drugs -- includes four Standards; Standard laboratory protocols for the transfer and bio-containment of hazardous animal pathogens; Farm Biosecurity Manual for Commercial Poultry Production -- Layer, Broiler, Hatchery; Amendment of Animal Slaughterhouse and Meat Inspection Act, 1999 and Animal Slaughterhouse and Meat Inspection Regulation, 2001 ; Amendment of Animal Health and Livestock Services Act, 1998 and Animal Health and Livestock Services Regulation, 1999.
The development of the standards aims to facilitate the commercialisation of Agriculture and Trade by meeting the requirements of global and regional trade regime and grab the opportunity in the international market in context liberalised world economy.
It is expected that it will help promote sales and trade of animal and animal products, according to the organisers. It is also confided that it will help to facilitate the certification of products, assure quality and ultimately benefit the livestock farmers of Nepal.