Attending and directing the training course were Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duong, Deputy Director of the Department of Livestock and Mr. Chu Dinh Khu, Head of Animal Feed Division.
VinaCert Certification and Inspection Joint Stock Company had Mr. Ngo Van Nam, Inspection Director and staff of related departments. Representatives of 10 designated organizations to conduct conformity certification of exported and imported animal feed such as: VinaCert; Livestock Breeds, Animal Feed Assay and Testing Center; Vinacontrol Ho Chi Minh City Inspection Company Limited; Center of Analytical Services and Experimentation Ho Chi Minh City (CASE); Quality Assurance and Testing Center 2 and 3; Hai Phong Sub Department of Animal Health and other organizations also attended.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duong speaking in the opening of the training course
Speaking in the opening of the training course, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duong said, “According to the statistics of General Department of Vietnam Customs, among the exported and imported commodities, animal feed has been the best-managed goods. This was shown in the fast, transparent and convenient procedure for owners to complete customs clearance, and all shipments are quality-checked and inspected before clearance.”
"The designated organizations has performed a very important task which draw the society attention. However, whether the performance was really good or not, we have to carry out serious evaluation to realize that there are still many shortcomings. One of the crucial factors that determines the inspection, supervision and certification of conformity of animal feed quality is the onsite inspection, assessment and documentation activities. All of the remaining stages depend on this step. If the preliminary assessment of the goods is inaccurate, the entire following task will go wrong. Enterprises will lose money, the government cannot manage the goods quality and the livestock producer will have to use low quality products. This leads to poorer quality of our livestock products than that of other countries...", Mr. Duong said.
View of the training course
With the significance and importance of conformity assessment activity for imported animal feed quality, Department of Livestock organized the training course on "Improving onsite assessment skills of exported and imported animal feed for livestock and poultry". This training course is to help organizations to improve their onsite assessment skills, which serves the quality control of exported and imported animal feed. The training course also created the uniformity in onsite assessment technique for designated organizations.
This is also a practical activity related to the skills and responsibilities of auditors and the responsibility of state management agency to better serve the state management of animal feed products. Therefore, it is necessary to unify the technique of onsite assessment activities such as documentation method, color and odor sensory assessment, physical criteria description, etc.
According to Mr. Duong, lack of homogeneity in onsite assessment technique will result in inaccurate documents and inaccurate sensory assessment, and onsite auditors have to take the first and foremost responsibility.
"The most important goal of this training course was that onsite auditors from 10 designated organizations have to agree on several aspects, such as a homogeneous procedure for site inspection and description, homogeneous assessment forms for goods description, integrity and uniformity description, homogeneous sampling methods and taking pictures”, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duong said.
Right after Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duong’s opening speech, "Professional Sampling Staff" contest took place under the supervision of the Judging Panel. Head of Judging Panel was Mr. Chu Dinh Khu, Head of Animal Feed Division, Department of Livestock. Member of the panel were Mr. Ngo Van Nam, Inspection Director of VinaCert, Mr. To Thanh Phuc, Vice Manager of Inspection Department, Vinacontrol Company, and Mr. Vu Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of VinaCert Hai Phong Branch, secretary of the Judging Panel
There were 5 candidates, including 3 onsite assessment staffs of VinaCert Certification and Inspection Joint Stock Company and 2 staffs of Livestock Breeds, Animal Feed Assay and Testing Center.
The candidates had to pass 2 rounds, which were the oral theoretical questions and identifying nonconformities through case study videos.
Candidates answering the case study questions about onsite assessment
The total score for Oral theoretical questions was 50. Candidates would take turns to draw a question and had 7 minutes to prepare and answer (2 minutes to prepare, 5 minutes to answer). If the time limit was exceeded, 5 points would be deducted for 1 minute respectively.
Candidates watching and identifying the nonconformities in videos
The total score for Identifying nonconformities through case study videos was 50 with a maximum 10 points for each video. Each candidate received a content sheet for a corresponding video. After watching the video, each candidate had 1 minute to check the conformities and nonconformities in that video. Each correct answer (mark “x” correctly for conformities or nonconformities) gained 1 point, otherwise 1 point will be deducted.
At the end of each round, the Judging Panel always gave detailed comments on the candidates’ answers and analyzed the conformities and nonconformities in each case.
The leaders of Department of Livestock giving flowers and certificates to candidates
The candidate with the highest score is Mr. Phan Viet, onsite assessment staffs of VinaCert, with 71/100 points, ranked as excellent.
At the end of the contest, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duong, Mr. Chu Dinh Khu (Department of Livestock), Mr. Ngo Van Nam (VinaCert) and Mr. To Thanh Phuc (Vinacontrol) answered questions related to onsite assessment skills from the organizations.
Speaking at the training course, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duong highly appreciated the learning spirit 10 designated organizations.
"Based on the comments and recommendations from organizations, the Department of Livestock will send an official dispatch to the General Department of Customs and Port Authorities to facilitate the onsite auditors to perform their tasks. In order to do that, the organizations shall develop a common image for onsite auditors. Despite the different logos, the sign and color should be similar in size, easy to identify and follow a common pattern.”
Mr. Duong also shared, "To create a homogeneity in onsite assessment technique, based on the procedures of 10 designated organizations, the Department of Livestock will review a “standard” procedure to use as reference. This procedure could act as a “framework” for the organizations to develop their own onsite assessment procedure to fit their characteristics.