Agriculture Ministry, FAO Initiate Pasar BERSAMA Pilot Markets

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) initiated a pilot markets programme called “Pasar BERSAMA” which stands for Bersih, Sehat, Aman or Clean, Healthy and Safe Markets in the greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek) area.

Markets that are muddy, smelly and dirty are very disturbing and uncomfortable both for traders and their customers. Likewise, markets that are not clean can impact public health.

One initiative is the "Pasar BERSAMA: Clean, Healthy, Safe" programme of the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services (DGLAHS), Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO ECTAD), supported by USAID. 

Read: Agriculture Minister, FAO Warn Farmers on Threats to Poultry

The Jabodetabek pilot markets programme has been running for five months from August to December 2018. "We hope the markets become healthy and free from Avian Influenza virus through proper cleaning and disinfection", said the Head of the Animal Disease Control Sub-directorate (P3H) Ministry of Agriculture, drh. Arif Wicaksono.

The pilot programme, guided by the Ministry of Agriculture and FAO ECTAD was conducted in three markets and two poultry slaughterhouses (RPHU). Two of the markets only sell chicken carcasses while one market sells live birds as well as the chicken carcass. The two slaughterhouses registered in the programme are RPHU Rorotan, North Jakarta and RPHU PD. Risma Jaya in Tangerang Regency.

During a meeting to evaluate Jabodetabek poultry market chain biosecurity interventions on February 21, 2019, drh. Arif Wicaksono further stressed that high poultry traffic poses a risk of disease transmission, one of which is avian influenza (AI). To stop the transmission of the AI virus in the poultry market chain, improved knowledge and skills of poultry business actors are needed, especially on cleaning and disinfection of markets. 

Read: Agri Ministry,FAO Hold Training on Vaccination to Control Rabies

"We hope our Pasar BERSAMA programme will become a model for other markets in Indonesia", said Arif. He explained that the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, supports programmes that prevent the spread of animal diseases to humans.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Trade, the Animal Husbandry office, the Health Service, market managers and RPHU managers in Jabodetabek. The meeting discussed the achievements and challenges of the pilot program at Cariu Market, Bogor Regency, Kemis Market, Tangerang Regency, Senen Market in Central Jakarta, RPHU Risma Jaya, Tangerang and RPHU Rorotan in North Jakarta.

Market and slaughterhouse staff were trained to carry out routine market cleaning according to high health standards, as well as how to use appropriate disinfectants. Market and slaughterhouse personnel were also shown how to implement good market biosecurity practices, to prevent germs from contaminating products and the market environment. Throughout the pilot period, this programme received a very good response from vendors, local government officers and the community of consumers. "We hope these market biosecurity standards can be adopted by regional governments and applied in markets throughout Indonesia," said Arif. 

Read: FAO: Indonesia`s Agriculture is a Learning Place for the World

Luuk Schoonman, FAO Chief Technical Advisor commended the cross-ministry and private sector involvement in making healthy and clean markets a reality. "Maintaining cleanliness and health in markets is the responsibility of all parties. Consumers buy food from the market, so if the market meets high hygiene and health standards, the community will also be protected from disease risks, especially diseases that transmit from animals to humans," Schoonman said. At present, the Ministry of Health is also actively promoting the “Pasar Sehat” or Healthy Market Programme, while the Ministry of Trade seeks to apply the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) in Community Markets. Dr Schoonman hopes that all relevant Ministries and Institutions can work together to ensure food safety for the community.

TEMPO | FAOID