‘The New Plant Quarantine Order’ INDIA

1. ‘The New Plant Quarantine Order’INDIA

2. ORGANIZATIONAL CHART OF INDIAN PLANT QUARANTINE STRUCTURE

3. Primary concerns of the Government of India • To prevent the introduction & spread of exotic pests that are destructive to the country by regulating the import of plants/plant products through adequate policy and statutory measures. • To support India’s agricultural exports through credible export certification. • To facilitate safe global trade in agriculture by assisting producers, exporters & importers and by providing a technically comprehensive & credible Phyto-sanitary Certification.

4. A Background of hitherto existing P.Q. Statute and Regulations..(2) • Plant Quarantine Regulatory Measures in India operate on the basis of ‘The Destructive Insects & Pests Act, 1914’ promulgated to prevent introduction and spread of destructive pests affecting crops. Rules promulgated for regulating import of live insects in1941; of fungi in 1943; and of cotton in 1972. • New Seed Policy, 1988 , formulated in 1988 to provide access to best available seeds and planting material to Indian farmers, domestic & imported. • ‘The Plants, Fruits & Seeds (Regulation of Import into India Order, 1989’, notified for prohibiting and regulating the import into India of plants/ plant materials and the like, based on post-entry Quarantine checks. This order is being replaced by the new Plant Quarantine Order’2003

5. Why a new Plant Quarantine Regulation? • Liberalised trade in agriculture, a fallout of the WTO Agreements, albeit offering wide economic opportunities, also implied fresh challenges of amplified pest risks, a corollary to the increased volumes and array of international agricultural commodity trade. • With diverse Agro-Climatic zones, varied agricultural produce and surplus food production, India finds itself in a position to exponentially expand its agriculture trade, but what was required was accredit able National Standards for all critical Phyto-sanitary activities. Need for compliance with stringent International Phyto-sanitary Regulations was felt invariably and continually.

6. Why a new Plant Quarantine Regulation?....contd..(1) • Urgent need to fill-up the gaps in existing PFS order viz., regulating import of Germplasm/ GMO’s/ Transgenic plant material; Live Insects/Fungi including Bio-control Agents etc. • To facilitate safe conducting of global trade in agriculture and thereby fulfill India’s legal obligations under the international agreements • To protect the interest of the country’s farmers by preventing the entry, establishment and spread of destructive pests, vectors and alien species. • To protect the national plant life and environment • To safeguard the national bio-diversity from threats of alien specie invasions.

7. Why a new Plant Quarantine Regulation?....contd..(2) • The need was being felt for incorporation of Additional/ Special Declarations for freedom of Import commodities. from Quarantine and Alien pests, on the basis of Standardized Pest Risk Analysis, particularly for seed/planting materials. • Need was felt for review of the existing Import phytosanitary requirements for several other agricultural commodities as also for a comprehensive notification to cover imports of Germplasm/ GMO’s/ Transgenic plant materials; Live insects & Microbial cultures including Bio-control agents.

8. Salient Features of New PQ Order • Scope of P.Q. activities widened with incorporation of additional definitions. • P.R.A. made condition-precedent for imports. • Prohibition on import of commodities with weed/ alien species contamination; & restriction on import of packaging material of plant origin unless treated. • Provisions included for regulating the import of:- # Soil, Peat & Sphagnum moss. # Germplasm/ GMOs/ Transgenic material for research. # Live insects/ Microbial cultures & Bio-control agents. # Import of timber & wooden logs.

9. Salient features of PQ Order-Contd.(1) • Agricultural imports classified as (a) –Prohibited plant species; (b)- Restricted species where import permitted only by authorised institutions; (c)- Restricted species permitted only with additional declarations of freedoms from Quarantine/ Regulated pests and subject to specified treatment certifications and ; (D)- Plant material imported for consumption/industrial processing permitted with normal PSC. • Permit requirement enforced on imports of seeds including flower seeds, propagating material and mushroom spawn cultures

10. Salient features of PQ Order-Contd.(2) • Additional declarations being specified in the Order for import of 144 agricultural commodities, specifically listing as many as 590 Quarantine Pests and 61 Weed species. • Notified Points of entry being increased dramatically to 130 from the existing 59. • Certification fee and Inspection Charges’ structure being rationalised.

11. Harmony with the IPPC • The proposed phyto-sanitary measures are designed to prevent global spread of noxious pests and are based on justified scientific principles with PRA as cornerstone. • Provisions made applicable to packages and transportation.. • Inspection/Certification to be as per IPPC Article- IV. • Phyto-sanitary Certificates to be in the IPPC Article-V format and as per P.Q. requirements of importing country, and to be issued after careful inspection and the required treatment. • Emphasis on capacity enhancement and development/training of staff. • The order will be put on our website and will be accessible to one and all and will be transparent and shall apply uniformly to all exporting countries/ parties.

12. Issue of the Import Permits • Different formats devised for applications for issue of Import Permit for consumption and for propagative materials. • Commercial import of seeds of Coarse cereals/ Pulses/ Oil seeds/Fodder crops & planting materials of Fruit plant species to require prior clearance. • Applications for seeds/planting material required to be accompanied by a registration certificate issued by :- (1) National Seeds Corporation/ Director of Agriculture/ Horticulture of State Government and; (2) Certificate of approval of PEQ facilities by the Designated Inspection Authority.

13. Procedures for issue of Permit- Contd.. • Separate Permit formats introduced for Consumption and Propagative plant materials, and to be issued within a maximum period of 3 working days of submission of an application.. • Pre-import finalization of P.R.A. made compulsory for certain commodities, where P.R.A.has not been done in the country. • Permits for import of soil/peat and for import of Live Insects/ Microbial cultures and Bio-control agents to be issued only by the. Plant Protection Adviser, the technical head of PQ service in the country. • Permits for import of Germplasm/ GMOs/ Transgenic plants to be issued by Director, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi

14. Procedures for issue of permit-----Contd… • Permits issued to be valid for six months and further extendible by another six months. • Permits not transferable and no permits to issued for landed consignments. • Relaxations from conditions of the Order, necessitated by emergency & unforeseen circumstances, to wrest with the Union Ministry of Agriculture

15. Initiatives and Activities envisaged for Upgradation/Strengthening PQ facilities • 35 new PQ Stations to be opened across the country by year 2005 at all major and minor ports. • Development of - • Integrated Information Management System • Integrated Pest Risk Analysis System and establishment of National PRA unit for conducting Integrated Pest Surveillance. • Integrated Phyto-sanitary Border Control System • National Phyto-sanitary Database. • National Management Centre for Phyto-sanitary Certification to continuously review the national standards for export Phyto-sanitary certification.

16. Initiatives/Activities for Upgradation/ Strengthening PQ facilities-Contd…(1) • Establishment of advanced Molecular Diagnostic facilities at Major P.Q. Stations for rapid pathogen detection • Computerization and Networking of all the P. Q. Stations • Standardization of Export Certification process so that uniform and credible certificates, with common format and seal are issued by all PSC issuing authorities, both in Central and State Governments, across the country. • Human resource development and skill upgradation/ training programmes for Scientists,Researchers and others. • Obtaining ISO Quality certification for major PQ Stations

17. Initiatives/Activities for Upgradation/ Strengthening PQ facilities-Contd…(2) • Guidelines for training of PQ Inspectors • Guidelines for the development of new disinfestation techniques and vapour heat treatment of fruit fly host commodities. • Development of fumigants as alternative to the ozone depleting Methyl Bromide. • Development of International Standards for Phyto-sanitary Measures (ISPM) • Guidelines planned for accreditation of post entry quarantine facilities and inspection.

18. Action Plan for Pest Risk Analysis starting December 2003 • Establishment of a National PRA Unit within six months • Organising PRA training/ Workshop involving National/ International experts for prioritizing crops/commodities for undertaking PRA and Establishing working groups-Next six months • Development of programme links-2months • Development of pest data base for new 39 commodities by June, 2004. • Development of detailed PRA for the above 39 commodities within plan period, 13 commodities yearly.

19. Strawberry Banana Kiwi Musk Melon Water Melon Pears Mandarin Cashew nut Apple Grape Citrus fruits Lentil Red Beans Chick Pea Jute Black Gram Green gram Cotton Crops to be taken up for PRA on priority

20. Crops to be taken up for PRA on priority Wheat Rice Barley Maize Baby Corn Pearl millet Sorghum Lettuce Garlic Broccoli Potato Chinese Cabbage Mustard Sunflower Safflower Linseed Castor Rape seed

21. POLICY FOR THE CONTROL OF NATIONAL INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES • The national IPM Programme is the mechanism to prevent and control the threat posed by Invasive Alien Species within the country. • System of Domestic Quarantine exists and is used when required. • There is growing involvement of State Govts, NGOs, Private Sector, Research institutions and Farmer Self-help groups for surveillance and detection of pests/ diseases and for taking eco- friendly corrective action within the IPM scheme. • Locust/ Migratory Locust is a menace for the Asian region and we have active coordination with FAO and our neighboring countries for surveillance, early detection and control measures for the same. There has been no major incidence reported in the region this year

22. POLICY FOR THE CONTROL OF NATIONAL INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES.(2) • A peculiar cyclic problem reported from North-Eastern parts of India, relates to unexplained but sudden surge in rodent population and activity after an interval of every few years. The menace a peak is simultaneous with Gregarious Bamboo Flowering. The said problem has already surfaced and is likely to peak by 2006-2007, causing loss of crop. Research and preventive control measures are in full swing. Being studied are the rodent characteristics, damage capacity, pathways associated and environment friendly control strategy , also using the traditional knowledge of the local agrarian community of the region. This problem is thankfully confined to a small hilly region of the country.

23. POLICY FOR THE CONTROL OF NATIONAL INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES.(3) • Research being conducted to study impact of Climate Change on threat of Invasive Alien Species; Being given greater importance since serious White Woolly Aphid infestation of Sugarcane crop in parts of peninsular India in 2002, which caused substantial crop damage and losses. This pest had, previously, never infested Sugarcane in India and therefore was a surprise infestation. The task of research, future prevention and control measures being handled by Ministry of Agriculture in coordination with other Central Govt. Departments, concerned State Govts, ICAR, other research institutions and Agriculture Universities, Private Sector and Sugar Factories. Albeit, the worst is over and severity of the White-Woolly Aphid, recorded last year in over 200,000 ha of Sugarcane, has reduced substantially this year. However, almost 75000 ha of the crop is still infested and continues to be a matter of concern.