Introduction of the SwissGAP planned for mid-2006

The Swiss fresh produce industry expects to have its SwissGAP accreditation programmed benchmarked to EurepGAP by the middle of this year.

“Switzerland’s exporting efforts are aimed at high quality niche markets with affluent consumers,” said Bernadette Galliker of the Swiss Fruit Association. Some 150,000 tonnes of Swiss dessert apples were harvested last year, of which around only one per cent were for the export market. But, she added: “New varieties of apples bred in Switzerland are proving very successful internationally, including Maigold, Mairac and Diwa - known under the brand name of Junami.”

And Swiss organic vegetables will soon be launched on the export market, said Ernst König from the vegetable growers’ federation Verband Schweizerischer Gemüseproduzenten. “The quality of our organic vegetables is outstanding, backed up by extensive expertise and careful production methods. And in order to create an even greater climate of trust on the part of our customers growers and merchandisers, we are striving to implement SwissGAP by the middle of 2006. This is equivalent to the EurepGAP standard, but adapted to conditions in Switzerland.”