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Month: January 2022

27 Jan 22

Zim clinches lucrative citrus deal

Source: Zim clinches lucrative citrus deal | The Herald Sweet oranges Elita Chikwati Senior Agriculture Reporter Zimbabwe can now export fruits to China after the two countries signed the citrus phytosanitary protocol, in a development expected to broaden export destinations for the fruits and remove over reliance on South Africa and the European market. The phytosanitary protocol requires that a cold chain system for the export of fresh citrus fruits to China be put in place like any other country including the European Union (EU) for the management of False Codling Moth and other pests. This cold chain is required to begin at the port as opposed to the initial requirement for cooling to begin on the farm. China was represented by the General Administration of Customs of China, Minister Ni Yuefeng while Zimbabwe was represented by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Anxious Masuka. Varieties of fresh citrus to be exported to China from Zimbabwe include sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), lemon (Citrus limon and Citrus aurantifolia) and sour orange (Citrus aurantium). Acting chief director for Department of Research and Specialist Services Dr Dumisani Kutywayo confirmed the developments. “The General Administration of Customs of the Peoples’ Republic of China signed first and we followed suit. “We are now educating stakeholders on the requirements to export fresh fruits to China. Local stakeholders from the citrus industry have accepted the favourable terms,” he said. In a post on micro-blogging site, Twitter, the Chinese embassy in Harare said: “The sweet & juicy Zimbabwean citrus will join the Chinese market as the citrus export protocol have just been signed. We are implementing President Xi’s pledge that China will open a green channel for the export of African agricultural products. It’ll benefit more Zimbabwean farmers.” The finalisation of the protocol will provide an impetus towards the conclusion of partnerships and out grower arrangements with Chinese companies that are eager to export the products to China. The signing of the trade protocol will also cement trade relations between the two nations and will open the door for other products some that we were not exporting hence will lead to an increase in agriculture contribution to the export basket. China imports the grade b and c citrus as well and this will help Zimbabwe export those grades that are deemed inferior by traditional markets. The request for the citrus fruits export protocol between Zimbabwe and China started 2015 when Zimbabwe was seeking a market for Shashi Citrus smallholder farmers. China requested for Pest Risk Assessment information for the export of fresh citrus fruits from Zimbabwe to China. When Zimbabwe submitted the information, Chinese experts came to Zimbabwe in 2018 for a pre-shipment inspection of the citrus fields to check for consistence of the pests associated with citrus in Zimbabwe and also for pack shade adherence to required pack shade standards. Chinese experts declared False Codling Moth (FCM), and Natal fruit flies as pests of concern. From 2019 until 2020, negotiations went on until a protocol was recently signed between the two countries after agreeing on greed measures to take care of the concerns of plant biosecurity. China has also agreed out of the protocol framework to provide technical assistance to Zimbabwe regarding fresh citrus exports to the Chinese market. This initiative will improve local capacity for monitoring and surveillance of citrus plantations for insect pests and diseases. Meanwhile all orchards and packing houses that wish to export citrus to China have been advised to register with the Ministry of Lands for approval by both the Ministry and approved by both the MLAFWRD and the GACC. The finalisation of the protocol will provide an impetus towards the conclusion of partnerships and out grower arrangements with Chinese companies that are eager to export the products to China. The signing of the trade protocol will also cement trade relations between the two nations and will open the door for other products some that we were not exporting hence will lead to an increase in agriculture contribution to the export basket. The request for the citrus fruits export protocol between Zimbabwe and China started 2015 when Zimbabwe was seeking a market for Shashi Citrus smallholder farmers. China requested for Pest Risk Assessment information for the export of fresh citrus fruits from Zimbabwe to China. When Zimbabwe submitted the information, Chinese experts came to Zimbabwe in 2018 for a pre-shipment inspection of the citrus fields to check for consistence of the pests associated with citrus in Zimbabwe and also for pack shade adherence to required pack shade standards. Chinese experts declared False Codling Moth (FCM), and Natal fruit flies as pests of concern. From 2019 until 2020, negotiations went on until a protocol was recently signed between the two countries after agreeing on greed measures to take care of the concerns of plant biosecurity. China has also agreed out of the protocol framework to provide technical assistance to Zimbabwe regarding fresh citrus exports to the Chinese market. This initiative will improve local capacity for monitoring and surveillance of citrus plantations for insect pests and diseases. Meanwhile, all orchards and packing houses that wish to export citrus to China have been advised to register with the Ministry of Lands for approval by both the Ministry and approved by both the MLAFWRD and the GACC. Zim clinches lucrative citrus deal – Zimbabwe Situation
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27 Jan 22

Vietnamese cut flowers to be exported to Australia again

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Plant Protection Department (PPD) has reached an agreement with the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources on the use of metsulfuron methyl for cut flowers exported to Australia instead of glyphosate, which has been banned in Vietnam since June 2021. The Plant Protection Department (PPD) has coordinated with the Australian Embassy in Vietnam to hold a ceremony to announce a new phytosanitary measure for Vietnam’s cut flowers exported to Australia. The metsulfuron methyl will be used to treat cut chrysanthemum sprouts before being exported to Australia from March 1. Vice head of the PPD Nguyen Thi Thu Huong said that basically, chrysanthemum exports to Australia will not need import license of the country, but must be treated with metsulfuron methyl, 200g per kg, at a dose of 0.67g per liter. After the resumption of Vietnam’s flower shipments to Australia, the sides will continue keeping watch on safety and effectiveness of metsulfuron methyl on the batches for the next six months, she added. Australia has been among important traditional markets of Vietnamese flowers for 23 years. Vietnam ships nearly 30 million bunches of flowers and foliage to the Oceania nation each year, raking in 5.2 million USD./. Vietnamese cut flowers to be exported to Australia again (dangcongsan.vn)
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24 Jan 22

Impact of the International Plant Protection Convention mission presented in 2021 annual meeting

Posted on Mon, 24 Jan 2022, 07:46 On IPPC Website Rome, 21 January 2022. Kick starting the New Year, the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) held its annual meeting to reflect on the IPPC mission and the impact it had on the global plant health community in 2021. Welcoming the IPPC team was IPPC Secretariat Officer-in-Charge for Daily Matters Mr Avetik Nersisyan, followed by opening remarks and staff recognition with FAO’s Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP) Director, Mr Jingyuan Xia. Topics on the major impact of the IPPC 2021 operations were presented by team leads: Ms Moreira from the Standard Setting Unit (SSU), Ms Brunel from Implementation Facilitation Unit (IFU), Mr Deng from Integration and Support Team (IST), Mr Fedchock from ePhyto Group and Mr Benovic from the IPPC Work Plan and Budget. After a brief break, there was a group discussion moderated by Mr Fedchock on strengthening the “One IPPC” concept for Better Impact around the four betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life. In concluding the meeting, inspirational remarks by NSP Director Xia underlined communication, collaboration and teamwork as foundational values towards achieving a dynamic impact of the IPPC in 2022 among other messages of inspiration to the IPPC team. Impact of the International Plant Protection Convention mission presented in 2021 annual meeting – International Plant Protection Convention (ippc.int)
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19 Jan 22

Pesticides Distributed To Curb Fall Army Worms

Chanesa Tembo-Agriculture Minister MTOLO PHIRI says the government has started distributing pesticides across the country to curb the fall army worms. Mr. MTOLO says a number of provinces have already been affected by the army worms due to change in weather patterns. He told ZNBC news that camp officers are on high alert monitoring the situation. Mr MTOLO said the government recently released about K46m which has gone towards the procurement of agricultural pests. Pesticides distributed to curb fall army worms ~ (znbc.co.zm)
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19 Jan 22

The IPPC Sea Container Task Force has successfully completed its mandate

Posted on IPPC Website on Tue, 18 Jan 2022, 15:00 Rome, 18 January 2022. National economies depend on the efficient and uninterrupted movement of trade, which is facilitated by the efficient movement of sea containers through a complex and time sensitive logistical system. With over 220 million containers shipped each year, the scale of sea container operations is monumental. As a consequence, any changes to the system are likely to have substantive knock-on effects. The Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM), its committees and subgroups have actively considered the subject of pest spread through contamination of sea containers since 2008. The Sea Container Task Force (SCTF), a subgroup of the Implementation and Capacity Development Committee (IC), was established in 2017 to guide the IPPC’s work on sea containers and associated phytosanitary risks. In 2020 the task force’s four-year mandate was extended in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which precluded many planned activities, and concluded in December 2021. The original tasks of the SCTF included measuring the impact of the Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units Code (CTU Code); facilitating the efficient implementation of the Complementary Action Plan for Assessing and Managing the Pest Threats Associated with Sea Containers; exploring the use of the Authorized Economic Operators concept within the World Customs Organization (WCO)’s SAFE Framework of Standards and the data model for sea container cleanliness purposes; and increasing the awareness of pest risks in the sea container pathway. The final report of the SCTF will be submitted to the next IC for approval and subsequent submission to the sixteenth session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures that will take place in April 2022. The report will include possible ways forward and a number of targeted measures to address specific issues related to pest contamination of sea containers. Furthermore, thanks to strong collaboration between national plant protection organizations and industry representatives, the SCTF put forward a number of recommendations for action to reduce phytosanitary risk in the sea container pathway. The IPPC Secretariat sincerely congratulates all the SCTF members and observers for the work carried out over the past five years. The IPPC Sea Container Task Force has successfully completed its mandate – International Plant Protection Convention
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07 Jan 22

Zambia announces outbreak of fall armyworms

Fall armyworm Lusaka, Zambia | Xinhua | An outbreak of fall armyworms has broken out in Zambia and threatened the country’s agricultural produce, a government official said on Wednesday. Reuben Phiri, the Minister of Agriculture, said the fall armyworms have so far been reported in Mkushi district in the central part of the country but added that the outbreak was likely to spread to all parts of the country because of the prevailing climatic conditions. He told reporters during a press briefing that so far, about 331 hectares of land have been affected by the fall armyworms in the district. The minister however said the ministry has strengthened surveillance and other control measures to contain the outbreak of the migratory pests, adding that the ministry was actively monitoring the situation. According to him, Zambia has in the last 10 years experienced outbreaks of fall armyworms in seven agricultural seasons. ***** Xinhua
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07 Jan 22

Annual TC-RPPO Meets Virtually in 2021

Posted on Thu, 23 Dec 2021, 08:50 Rome 20 December 2021. The 33rd meeting of Technical Consultation among Regional Plant Protection Organizations (TC RPPO) held two virtual sessions on 6 October and 8 November 2021 with a continuance of topics remaining from the 32nd TC RPPO. The virtual meetings were chaired by Mr Visoni Timote the Executive Secretary of the Pacific Plant Protection Organization (PPPO). The request of ECOWAS to be recognized as an RPPO was conversed with a recommendation for a final decision to be made by the Convention on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) 16. An update by the IPPC Secretariat on the partnership/collaboration with the International Society for Pests that highlight potential linkages with the work of the CPM Focus Group on Pest Outbreak Alert and Response System was presented to the technical consultation members. The TC RPPO also received an update from the Secretariat on Laboratory Diagnostic Networking as it relates to the Strategic Framework 2020 – 2030 Development Agenda and discussed ideas for the Terms of Reference for a potential consultant to be hired by the IPPC. Preliminary ideas on how a consultant could proceed with evaluations to analyze various resources already in existence by some regional laboratory diagnostic systems were deliberated. The TC RPPO finalized the amendments of the Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure of TC-RPPO that were discussed in earlier virtual platforms. Fully acknowledging the efforts of the drafting team, Chairperson Mr Timote congratulated the team for its work on amending the Terms of Reference. The former representative from The Andean Community (CAN) Mr Camilo Beltran Montoyo, Mr Nico Horn from the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), Mr Mekki Chouibani of the Near East Plant Protection Organization (NEPPO), and Ms Stephanie Bloem from the North America Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) were recognized by the Chairperson for their accomplishment. Mr Nico Horn from the EPPO and Ms Stephanie Bloem from NAPPO volunteered to be the rapporteurs. Once the draft TC RPPO reports are cleared, they will become available on the IPP website. The final virtual session of the 33rd TC RPPO series is scheduled for 3 February 2022 when a new Chairperson will be elected.
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