The project will focus on farms mainly in Kafr El Sheikh on the Nile Delta and Fayoum, an oasis roughly 100km southwest of Cairo, which currently generate around 10,000 tonnes of fish per annum.
A British inspection, product testing and certification business, Intertek designs food safety programmes and designs certification in areas of farming methodology, including organic standards.
Its role in the WorldFish project will be to develop “best management practice” standards for Egyptian aquaculture, and has been given a brief to improve catch quality and help shipments reach areas that are further away from the main production centres.
“We are very pleased to be working with Worldfish Organisation on this project,” said Sherif Fakhry, global product manager at Intertek.
“Our team of expert auditors will establish and implement the BMP certification system that focuses on improving performance by managing and optimising the operations.”
WorldFish, a Malaysia-based international non-profit research organisation, harnesses the potential of fisheries and aquaculture to reduce poverty and hunger. It is a member of Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
With Intertek, it aims to provide training and support for value chain operators, including feed producers, hatcheries, farmers, wholesalers and retailers so they become more quality focused and efficient.
The project has the goal of gaining efficiencies in manufacturing and logistics, overcoming market constraints and reducing risks so that the fish farms can meet a growing demand for Egyptian fish in domestic and international markets.