Phytosanitary Requirements for Import and Export of

Seeds and Planting Material

Government of India Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

Department of Agriculture , Cooperation and Farmers Welfare Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

International Obligation n  World Trade Organization n  Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement n  International Plant Protection Convention

(IPPC), 1951 ü  prevent spread and introduction of

pests of plants and plant products, and to promote appropriate measures for their control,

ü assume responsibility for the fulfillment within its territories of all requirements under this Convention.

International Obligation

n Each contracting party shall make provision, to the best of its ability, for an official NPPO

n  Responsibilities of NPPO shall include: Ø  Issue certificates as per phytosanitary

regulations of the importing contracting party

Ø Surveillance of growing plants, including areas under cultivation for occurrence and control of pest

International Obligation

Ø  Inspection of consignments of plants and plant products

Ø  Dis-infestation or disinfection of consignments to meet phytosanitary requirements

Ø  Conduct Pest Risk Analyses Ø  issuance of phytosanitary regulations Ø  submit a description of its official NPPO

to IPPC

NATIONAL PLANT PROTECTION ORGANIZATION

Joint  Secretary  Plant  Protec/on  (NPPO  Contact  Point)  

Plant  Protec/on    

(IPM)  

Plant  Quaran/ne  

(PQ)  

Locust  Control  

Pes/cide  Registra/on  &  

Quality  Control  

5  Major  Central  IPM  Centres     1.  SecC.  for  

Registra/on  of  Pes/cides  

2.  Central  Insec/cide  Lab.  

3.  NPRR  &  

4.  NPIL  

Locust  Warning  

Organiza/on  5  Regional  PQ  

Sta/ons  

3333003 35  CIPMCs    57  PQSs     10  LWO  Offices    

PLANT  PROTECTION  ADVISER  

Plant Protection set up in India

n Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage (DPPQS) under DAC & FW is the NPPO with Joint Secretary (PP) as the contact point

n Responsible for implementation of plant protection policies/programs and provides technical advice to Government.

n  State Governments have an analogous structure to address plant protection issues.

Plant  Protec/on  Network  in  India  

Head Quarter, DPPQ&S, Faridabad

Plant Quarantine Stations- 57

Central IPM Centres- 35

Locust Control Stations- 12

Central Insecticide Lab- 1

Regional Pesticide Testing Labs– 2

State Pesticide Testing Labs- 68

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Plant Quarantine Legislation n Plant Quarantine Regulations are

operative in India through the Destructive Insects & Pest Act (DIP Act), 1914

n Section 3 of the Act empowers Central

Government to prohibit or restrict the import into India of any article having risk to carry pests

Plant Quarantine Regulation

n Import  of  plants  and  plant  material  are  covered  under  The  Plant  Quaran-ne  (Regula-on  of  Import  into  India)  Order,  2003  (PQ  Order,  2003)    

   n Issued  under  Sec/on  3  (1)  of  DIP  Act  ,  1914  and  amendments  issued  there  under  from  /me  to  /me  

PQ Order 2003-Salient features

n Total Chapters – VII n Total Clauses – 15 n Total PQ Forms – 24 n  Total Schedules – XII n  Agri commodities – More than 1000 n  Covers around 600 Quarantine

Pests

PQ Order 2003-Salient features

n Effective from January 2004 n Specifies prohibited/restricted/regulated

import of plants/plant material Ø  Prohibited commodities – 14 (Schedule-IV)

Ø  Restricted commodities – 17 (Schedule-V)

Ø Regulated commodities – 692 (Schedule-VI)

Ø  Commodities without IP –292 (Schedule-VII)

PQ Order 2003-Salient features n Specified port of Entries ü  72 entry points (Schedule-I)

•  40 – sea ports •  18 – airports •  14 – Land Custom Borders

ü  70 ICDs & CFS (Schedule-II) ü  11 Foreign Post Offices (Schedule-III)

PQ Order 2003-Salient features

n Specified port of entries for import of seeds and propagating plant material Ø  Amritsar Ø  Chennai Ø  Mumbai Ø  Kolkata Ø  Delhi

PQ Order 2003-Salient features n Specifies PRA requirements n No import shall be permitted unless

PRA is conducted and listed under PQ Order with restrictions and conditions as may be specified.

n Additional declarations for QPs and

Special conditions

PQ Order 2003-Salient features n Covers import of ü Germplasm and transgenics ü Tissue cultures of plants for

propagation ü Biological control agents and

beneficial organisms ü Soil and peat moss etc. n Specify quarantine weed species ü  31 Quarantine weed seeds are

identified as under schedule-VIII

PQ Order 2003-Salient features n Requirements of Import permit and PSC

for Schedule-V & VI commodities and PSC for Schedule-VII commodities

ü 22 Import Permit issuing authorities are notified under Schedule-X

n Specify special conditions of import including post-entry quarantine requirements

ü  44 Inspection Authorities are designated in the country for monitoring the imported planting material under Post Entry Quarantine

Harmonisation of PQ Order with NPSD

n  Approval from EXIM committee required n  Seeds & planting material includes: ü  Cereals- Wheat and Paddy ü  Coarse Cereals- corn, millets etc. ü  Pulses ü  Oil seeds ü  Horticultural crops ü  Fodder crops

Phytosanitary Certification n Phytosanitary Certificates (PSC) are

issued in line with Article-V of IPPC n  Standard Operating Procedures for

export inspection and phytosanitary certification has been developed

n More than 160 PSC issuing authorities have been notified for issuance of PSC including central & state/UTs authorities

n Centralized printing of phytosanitary certificates with security features

Consequences - Non-Compliance

n Delay in clearance of consignment at destination

n Segregation of consignments n Risk of damage to the imported

consignment n  Additional financial burden on importer/

exporter n  Treatment of consignment at

destination

Consequences - Non-Compliance

n  Rejection of the consignment n  Technical Audit of the phytosanitary

control system of the exporting country n  Continuation of non-compliance may

lead to temporary ban on import n  Loss of credibility of the exporter/

country n  Loss of global export market

Recent Initiatives n 16 new PQ Stations to service

additional entry points being set up n ISO Certification for PQ Stations for

quality system n All PQ activities through Online

Plant Quarantine Information System (www.plantquarantineindia.nic.in)

Recent Initiatives n SOP for Phytosanitary Inspection

and Plant Quarantine Clearance of Plants/ Plant Products has been developed

n SOP for Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) inspect ion has been implemented

n Measures for “Ease of Doing Business” have been initiated

n  Time lines for all PQ activities

Recent Initiatives n  Single window system with

integration of PQIS and Customs EDI system

n E s t a b l i s h m e n t o f N a t i o n a l Agricultural Biosecurity System (NABS) on the anvil with new legislation

Web Site

www.plantquarantineindia.nic.in

Thank You ddk.sharma@nic.in