THE government’s initiative to establish the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA) represents an important step towards reforming agricultural trade regime. Agriculture remains the backbone of our economy, yet its trade and regulatory mechanisms have lagged behind international standards. However, regulatory reform alone will not be sufficient to unlock the full potential of the agriculture sector. At the same time, we must place far greater emphasis on value addition in agricultural products. We should promote food processing, packaging, branding and quality certification to increase the competitiveness of products in international markets.