Malaysia Introduces New Organic Certification Scheme

The Fisheries Department is developing an organic certification scheme under the Malaysian Aquaculture Farm Certification Scheme to help boost the local aquaculture industry reports Bernama.

Its Director-General, Datuk Junaidi Che Ayub, has said that the move was in line with the government's aim to be among the main contributors of organic fish and shrimp in the Asean.

Currently all farms producing aquaculture products under the Common Fund for Commodities/Food and Agriculture Organisation/Infofish -CFC/FAO/Infofish Organic Aquaculture Project were getting certification from Thailand's Organic Aquaculture Farms and Products Certification Centre (OAPC), he said.

"It is hoped that by having this organic certification scheme, the cost of getting certification from abroad will be minimised," he said after opening the CFC/FAO/Infofish Workshop on Organic Aquaculture Production and Product Marketing here.

He told Bernama that there are many products in the market that claim to be organically farmed but were without certification and thus had no warranty that the producers were following the organic principles and standards.

"I would like to caution everybody here today that for a product to be considered organic it has to be certified. It is an assurance for the buyers and consumers to rely on when there is certification on the product," he said.

Expressing the hope that more farmers in Malaysia would follow organic practice, he believed that the workshop organised by the department and Intergovernmental Organisation for Marketing Information and Technical Advisory Services for Fishery Products in the Asia and Pacific Region (Infofish) will be a good start to this effort.

"The domestic market for organically produced fish products has not been fully tapped, unlike that for vegetables and fruits.

"Therefore, I hope all present here today will take the initiative to discuss it and get their networking going since the workshop participants consist of farmers, feed millers, processors, buyers, and government officials and all of you will be the ones to determine the direction for organic aquaculture in Malaysia," he added.