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Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003
Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003
Plant quarantine is defined as the legal enforcement of the measures aimed to prevent pests from spreading or to prevent them from multiplying further in case they have already gained entry and have established in new restricted areas.
Directorate of Plant Protection catties out plant quarantine operations in India. The Directorate of Plant Protection is under the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation which in turn comes under the Ministry of Agriculture by the Government of India.
The primary plant quarantine which concerns the Government of India is reflected by the development of the new Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003. The concerns includes:-
• to stop the introduction of exotic pests that are destructive to the country. By introduction, spreading is also avoided. This done by regulating the import of plants and plant products through adequate policy and statutory measures.
• to support India’s agricultural exports. This by providing credible export certification.
• to facilitate safe global trade in agriculture. For this assisting producers, exporters and importers are provided. Also technically comprehensive and credible phytosanitary certificates are provided.
Before the new Order which was drafted on 18 November 2003, the previous one was drafted on 1914. Until the new Plant Quarantine Order, 2003 came into existence, The Destructive Insects and Pests Act, 1914, was followed The Destructive Insects and Pests Act, 1914 was formulated to stop introduction and spread of destructive pests affecting crops. Besides the Destructive Insects and Pests Act, 1914, the Plant, Fruits and Seeds (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 1989 was also there. Some other Rules were promulgated for regulating import of live insects (1941), fungi (1943) and cotton (1972).
To provide Indian farmers with access to the best available seeds and planting material, domestic and improved The New Seed Policy, 1988 was formulated.
The Plant Quarantine Order, 2003 has broadened the scope of plant quarantine activities. It widened with the incorporation of additional definitions. Also it makes pest risk analysis a precondition for imports.
The Plant Quarantine Order, 2003 prohibits the import of commodities which is contaminated with weeds and/or alien species. Unless the material has been treated, import of packaging material of plant origin is restricted.
The new Order includes provisions for regulating the import of:
• soil, peat and sphagnum moss
• germ plasm, genetically modified organisms and transgenic material for research
• live insects, microbial cultures and biocontrol agents
• timber and wooden logs.
Agricultural imports are now classified as:
(a) restricted plant species;
(b) prohibited species where import is permitted only by authorized institutions;
(c) prohibited species which were permitted only with additional declarations of freedom from quarantine pests; and
(d) plant material which are imported for consumption or industrial processing and are permitted with normal phytosanitary certification.
Imports of seeds, including flower seeds, propagating material and mushroom spawn cultures is where now a permit is required. Also additional declarations are specified in the new Order. This is for the import of 144 agricultural commodities which includes listing as many as 590 quarantine pests and 61 weed species. Before there were only 59 notified points of entry but now there are 130 such entry points.
