The Association for the Promotion of Cotton Production (APPA) has become the 12th laboratory to be certified by ICA Bremen. In 2017, APPA opened an official laboratory for cotton fibre quality analysis. It provides services to producers, spinners, ginners, cotton merchants and firms that work in the research, development and improvement of cotton varieties.
In 2018 the laboratory started to participate in international quality controls by the Department of Agriculture of the United States and the Commercial Standardization of Cotton Testing Instruments (CSITC) Round Trials as a first step to qualify for the ICA Bremen certification as well as the introduction of Argentina (represented by APPA) as a member of CICCA to support of good trading practice and the sanctity of contract, ICA Bremen said.
“The certification of the official fibre quality laboratory has made it possible to increase its level to the maximum, ensuring accuracy and transparency throughout the process, providing an impartial means of dispute resolution,” APPA’s General Director of the laboratory, Nicolas Buyatti said.
ICA Bremen developed the laboratory certification scheme based on the American Society for Testing and Materials International and Commercial Standardisation of Instrument Testing of Cotton, as well as building on the good practices of USDA and its own laboratory experience.
Open to any international cotton testing laboratory, participating laboratories must meet a level of quality assurance based on specific criteria in eight modules, including conditioning, maintenance, and calibration and testing procedures. Once certified, they will also become a ‘Laboratory of Choice’ to resolve quality disputes in line with the ICA Bylaws & Rules, as well as providing a service to the cotton industry.
