Report on Plant Protection in Sudan

1. بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing in Plant Protection between the Near East Countries, 2-4 Dec. 2012, Cairo, Egypt Report on Plant Protection in Sudan Mohamed Ahmed Abdelmoti Plant Protection Directorate SUDAN

2. Introduction • Sudan is a country endowed with rich natural resources which include: • Abundant fertile agriculture lands of which the utilized is estimated to reach 20% of 84 million ha. • Animal wealth estimated to be about 120 million cattle, sheep, goats and camels. • Abundant Water Resources from Rainfall, (1trillion mm). Rivers (20.55 billion cubic meters), Underground water (16 billion cubic meters) and Seasonal streams (5–7 Billion cubic meters). • Marina and freshwater fisheries resources, Minerals, game animal reserves and high tourist resort attraction potentials.

3. Introduction • Sudan is also endowed with climatic diversities which could enable it to produce agricultural products such as cereals, oilseeds, fibers, sugar and horticultural crops almost through all seasons of the year. • The geographical location of Sudan and its proximity to the major Gulf countries and European markets coupled with its access to the sea is a hugely important opportunity which if prudently exploited could be of immense comparative advantage to boost the growth of agriculture and the economy.

4. Introduction • Sudan is a very big country (1882000km2) surrounded by eight countries. Egypt, Libya, Chad, Central Africa, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia, accordingly, too many entry points are scattered on this very long border. • Population: 33.4 million Peoples, Growing at the rate of 2.46%, Rapid Urbanization, Youth Population. • Federal System: 15 States.

5. Separation Sudan Sudan

6. Egypt Libya Saudi Arabia Chad Sudan Eretria Central Africa Ethiopia South Sudan

7. Farming Systems A: Irrigated Farming Area: 1.9 million ha Main Crops: Cotton, Sorghum, Groundnuts, Wheat, Fruits & Vegetables, Rice, Maze & Fodder. B: Rain fed Mechanized land Farming Area: 7.9 million ha. Main Crops: Sorghum, Sesame, Sunflower, Cotton. C: Rain fed Traditional Farming Area: 7.6 million ha. Main Crops: Sorghum, Millet, Sesame, Gum Arabic and Groundnut.

8. Economic Performance • Average growth rate of 6% of GDP (2011 est.) • Agriculture provides 44% of GDP, with average growth rate of 4.5% (2011 est.) • Agricultural exports account for 80% of the total export excluding crude oil. • Food security indicators has improved. • Strategic Reserved Food was built.

9. Plant Protection Directorate Organisation chart

10. Mandate of the Plant Protection Directorate: • The Directorate is mandated mainly to survey and control both national and local pests including migratory pests such as locusts, birds, dura andat mice…etc. Moreover it manages and supervises the plant quarantine stations all over the country, and approves imported chemicals. Together with States protection departments all efforts are integrated to combat plant pests and diseases.

11. Objectives of the Plant Protection Directorate: • Planning, execution and follow up of national migratory pests control such as desert locust, harmful birds, dura andat and water hyacinth. • Monitoring and Evaluation of pests control operations in the States. • Provision of pesticides for the control of national and local pests and supervising aerial and ground sprayings. • Implementation of legislative law for pest's infestation. • Implementation of Phytosanitary legislations to safeguard export and import plant commodities from pests and diseases.

12. Implementation of pesticides and pest's control products legislation. • Cooperation and coordination with different international and regional organizations and institutions in all activities of plant protection. • Carry out applied field research on chemical and biological pesticides. • Provision of integrated services to small-scale farmers. • Documentation of information and statistics of pests in Sudan. • Training of the technical staff for capacity building.

13. The PPD consists of 5 administrative bodies: • Pests Control Department: • Responsible for technical supervision of pest's situation including survey and control of pests in coordination with the operations administration. • Plant Quarantine Department : • Supervision of all Phytosanitary procedures of exports and imports of plant materials at all entry ports of the Sudan and between the States (Interstate Quarantine). • Pesticides Department : • Secretary of the National Pesticides Council as the registration body. Its responsibility extends to pesticides specifications, inspection and safe use of pesticides. • Operations Department : • Executes all control operations and responsible for the financial and administrative aspects in PPD. • Aquatic & Terrestrial Weeds Department : • Survey and control the aquatic weeds and prevent its spread North of Jebel Awlia dam. The administration also surveys and controls weeds.

15. قانون الجراد لسنة 1907. • قانون أمراض النبات لسنة 1913م. • قانون الآفات الزراعية لسنة 1919م. • قانون القطن لسنة 1926م. • قانون أعشاب النيل لسنة 1960م. • قانون المبيدات ومنتجات مكافحة الآفات لسنة 1974م والمعدل لسنة 1994م.

16. Major pests and diseases: • Major Pests are locusts (desert locust, tree locust, and migratory locust), Quelea birds, dura andat (dura bug), mice, green pit scale insect and fruit flies. • Control programmes are carried out through regular campaigns for surveying and controlling these pests in the specific seasons of occurrence of each pest.

17. Major pests and diseases: Dura andat Green scale Desert Locust Quelea birds Water hyacinth Fruit fly Rodents

18. Campaigns Programmes

19. Success stories in pest management • A National campaign for controlling fruit flies in Mango and Citruses started in 2008 succeeding a workshop held in August 2008, recommended using (IPM), agricultural practices (cleaning, pruning…etc.), nutrient and pheromone traps and insecticide baits. • Following the program of IPM control recommended by this workshop brought back the good reputation of mango export after an acute recession in the previous years.

20. Successful biological control program • Biological Control of Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) using two weevil insects Neochetina eichhorniae and Neochetina bruchi. • Water hyacinth is a highly invasive species and has a tendency to cover and choke major waterways and lake surfaces, which can have numerous detrimental ecological, biological diversity, fisheries, hydroelectric, transportation, and economic results.

21. Control of WH was first carried out by applying the herbicide (2-4, D)

22. In 1979 biological control of WH was applied by introducing these two weevil insects Neochetina eichhorniae Neochetina bruchi

23. The adults produce characteristic feeding scars on the leaves and petioles. • In the larval stage, the insect tunnels into the petioles and the crown of the plant. This feeding results in biotic stress, reduced flowers and seeds, and less vigorous growth.

24. أثر تغذية اليرقة على حوامل أوراق النباتات أثر تغذية الحشرة على ورقة النبات يرقات حشرات المكافحة الحيوية أثر تغذية الحشرات على النباتات

25. Plant Quarantine Services • The plant quarantine services are considered to be the first defense line in management and control of agricultural pests. • It prevents the entry and establishment of new pests; beside its role in prevention of the spread of pests within the country towards where they are not known to be found (Internal quarantine) and thus creating pest free areas to enhance and promote agricultural exports. • This Plant Quarantine Department is composed of the following sections:

26. Sections of the Plant Quarantine Dept.

27. Plant Quarantine Regulations • The history of plant Quarantine in the Sudan started from the year 1911 when plant diseases act was drafted and became in force in 1913. • The act prohibit the introduction of pests and, diseases to the country through importation of plants, plant parts or plant products, and also established inspection, and treatment of imported and exported crops so as to be free from pests and diseases to compete in the international markets.

28. Other regulations and acts has also become in force, such as:- • Cotton act (1926) to prevent the spread of cotton pests. • Water hyacinth act (1960) which prohibit the spread of the weed from infested areas to clean areas. • Pesticide act (1974/amended 1994) which regulate pesticides handling, registration, and safe use of pesticides. • Plant protection bill (2001) drafted with the help of the FAO legal consultant, revised for the year 2004 and 2011, awaiting to be ratified by the Parliament .

29. Plant Quarantine Services • To achieve these goals and objectives, the necessary legislations that control this process are set out and executed through as well organized collaboration and cooperation with the Customs Department. • Starting from the year 1990 a lot of changes and modernization took place in plant quarantine operations, so as to comply with the IPPC since Sudan has become a member of the convention.

30. But the major changes occurred in the year 2001 due to the assistance of the FAO by executing a T.C.P SUD.06 Strengthening the phytosanitary measures in Sudan by training staff, providing laboratory equipments, drafting the plant protection bill, and certificates and inspection procedure.

31. Handicaps for Plant quarantine (constraints) • It is very difficult to inspect and intercept all items crossing this long boarder. • Smuggling across this boarder may create pathways for pests and diseases. • Passengers coming or leaving do not declare plants or plant products carried with them. • Lack of specific Lab equipment for detecting viruses and genetically modified plants. • Lack of equipments for post-entry quarantine areas.

32. Proposal for improvement • Developing capacities, institutions and systems for strengthening agricultural statistics to build a proper data base of reliable information. • Extensive training in plant quarantine procedures, Pest Risk Analysis (staff may have good information about it but in fact no practical implementation). • Exchange of visits for plant Quarantine officers between the Near East Countries so this will give good practice and knowledge.