Phytosanitary Status of
Bangladesh
Md. Ayub Hossain
Consultant, SPCB Project, DAE
What is Plant Quarantine ?
Plant Quarantine" means the effort
to prevent entry, establishment or
spread of a foreign pest in the
country through legal restriction
on the movement of plant and
plant products,"
Why is Plant Quarantine ?
-
Our lives & well-being are based on plant
growth and cultivation
- Invasive alien species greatly endanger our
food production, medication etc.
- Expanding global trade, tourism & climate
change also increase the dangers
- The impact of invasive alien species has
serious implications for the economy and
ecology.
Plant Quarantine Service
 Quarantine Service Started from 14th century
 In 1799 USA introduced Quarantine Act.
 In 1825 UK promulgated Quarantine Act.
 In 1914 British Indian Governor General
Promulgated the “Destructive Insects and Pest
Act”
 In 1951 FAO started International Plant
Protection Convention (IPPC)
Plant Quarantine Service
 In 1966 Pakistan endorsed ‘Destructive
Insects and Pests Rules’
 In 1974 Bangladesh became the member of
IPPC
 In 1989 Bangladesh amended the
Destructive Insects and Pests Rules’1966
and the rules is still on
 ‘Plant Quarantine
passed in 2011
Act-2011’
 New Rules yet to be formulated.
has
been
What is Phytosanitary ?
Phyto means ‘Plant’ and Sanitary means ‘health’
so, Phytosanitary indicates concerning the health
of plants; especially the freedom from pest
which require quarantine.
-Phytosanitary Measures means any legislation,
regulation or official procedure having the
purpose to prevent the introduction and/or spread
of quarantine pests.
Phytosanitary cont’d
• Phytosanitary procedure: Any official
method for implementing phytosanitary
measures including the performance of
inspections, tests, surveillance or treatments
in connection with regulated pests.
• Phytosanitary
certification:
Use
of
phytosanitary procedures leading to the issue
of a phytosanitary certificate.
IPPC
(International Plant Protection Convention)
The IPPC (1952) was first adopted by the FAO
Conference at its sixth session in December 1951 by
Resolution 85, and came into force in April 1952.
-With the purpose of securing common and effective
action to prevent the spread and introduction of pests of
plants and plant products, and to promote appropriate
measures for their control, the contracting parties
undertake to adopt the legislative, technical and
administrative measures specified in this Convention
(IPPC) and in supplementary agreements
NPPO
(National Plant Protection Organization)
 Each contracting party shall make provision, to
the best of its ability, for an official national
plant protection organization with the main
responsibilities set out in this Article.
 The issuance of certificates relating to the
phytosanitary regulations of the importing
contracting party for consignments of plants,
plant products and other regulated articles;
NPPO of Bangladesh
The Plant Quarantine activities of the
country at national level are under the
Director of Plant Quarantine Wing of the
Department of Agricultural Extension
under the Ministry of Agriculture. He is
serving as NPPO of Bangladesh
Organizational Strength
 Recently Plant Quarantine Wing of DAE has
been formed with headed by Director with
314 personnel.
 We have 30 plant quarantine stations. Among
these stations:-Land border check post23,International air port-3,Sea port-2,River
port-1,Inland container depot (Railway)-1
 Besides these PQ centers, the head quarter at
Dhaka carry out the regulatory functions and
it also serves as a PQ station.
Function Of Plant Quarantine Wing
 Enforcement of “Destructive Insects and
Pests
Rules, 1966 (Plant Quarantine)
amended up to July, 1989”.
 Incorporate new Rules
Plant Quarantine.
and Policies on
 Promote Plant Quarantine Activities at the
Check Posts of the Entry Points.
 Issuance of Phytosanitary Certificate
for export of agricultural products.
 Issuance of Import Permit for importing
Agricultural Products.
 Issuance of Release Order of Plant
Commodities.
 Recording & Interception of Pests and
Diseases.
Main Import (Plant & Plant Products)








Rice, Wheat, Maize
Raw cotton
Fresh fruits
Pulses
Oil seeds
Spices
Timbers
Vegetables
Main Export (Plant & Plant Products)
 Jute and Jute products
 Tea
 Tobacco
 Vegetables , Fruits and Potato
 Frozen vegetables, fruits
 Food stuffs and Food items
 Handicrafts, bamboo basket
 Aromatic and fine rice and spices
Challenges
 Lack of awareness about plant quarantine system
among different stakeholders ( at policy level, high
officials, businessman and mass people level)
 There is a clear structure and division of
responsibilities within the plant health service but the
NPPO is an independent body to carry out its tasks
effectively in line with the international standard.
 The financial resources for the NPPO are provided
from the state budget. The NPPO is under the
Director General of the Department of Agricultural
Extension under the Ministry of Agriculture.
Export Supply Chain Management
 Absence of direct linkage
 Procure through middlemen / farmers
 Transportation in bus top or loaded truck
 Lack of supervised production, poor PHH & almost
absence of cool chain management
 Graded & packed in the sheds of exporter
 Traditional exporters packed in bamboo baskets &
2nd hand paper cartons. No traceability system in
place.
 Acute shortage of air cargo space
Constraints of exportation to EU
 Exporters may be limited by various ways
- Potato is ban item to EU Markets
-Threats of additional restriction
Example:
Citrus for canker
Vegetable for Thrips
Ground nut, chick pea for Khapra beetle.
Mustard oil/Pickle for Urecic Acid
Chanatur for Aflatoxin.
Citrus Export (Constraints)
Additional declarations wanted by defra
- The fruits shall be free from peduncle and leaves
and the packaging shall bear an origin mark
-The fruits shall be free from Cercopora
angolensis and Guignardia citricarpa
-Official control of Xanthomonas campestris
(Bacterial canker)
- official monthly inspection during 3 months
prior to harvesting
- Fruits should be treated with sodium
orthophenyl- phenate (Article- 15 of EU directives)
Requirements in the EU markets
 Produce may be subject to random
testing at point of entry, MRLs or other
chemical contaminants;

Detailed information and records on
primary production and post-harvest
handling to satisfy the requirements
specified
under
EC/852/2004
and
EC/2073/2005 for ensuring food safety of
products of non-animal origin
Measures taken for Vegetable &
Citrus Exportation
 National & District committee formed
for acceleration of citrus & vegetable
exportation comprises by DAE, BARI,
BADC,
Hortex
Foundation
and
Exporters representatives
 District committee has started their
work after receiving the list of
producers from Exporters
 Farm visit
 Assessing garden/farm
 Giving advice according to EU
Directives
 Will certify
production
the
disease
free
 National committee is monitoring
the overall activities.
Action Plan Taken to Reduce Interception
 Production through Contract Farming
 Reduction of Fraudulent certificate
 Enhancement of inspection facilities
 Procurement of Laboratory Equipment
 Pest Listing and PRA
 Construction of Central packaging house
Background of SPCB Project
Bangladesh successfully entered in the
highly competitive international export
market. We are earning a significant
amount of valuable foreign currency
through exporting 12-14 lakhs metric tons of
agricultural products.
To expedite safe and successful trade in
developed and developing world we must
meet the requirements of the importing
country.
As a signatory to the IPPC we have to follow
the ISPMs adopted by the IPPC for
international trade. In order to comply
with the WTO-SPS agreement we must
update our phytosanitary capacity on a
regular basis.
To ascertain the phytosanitary task we
need high degree of quality control
equipment's, trained manpower and
necessary laboratory facilities in the field
of quality control (Plant Quarantine).
.
Many problems we are facing for exporting
citrus and some vegetables to EU that we can
not comply with the EU phytosanitary
regulations.
If we can comply with the International
phytosanitary regulations, our agro-products
export will be more than doubled. Therefore,
our farmers will be benefitted to get fair price
and total production will be increased.
.
Main Objective of SPCB Project
 “Strengthening phytosanitary capacity
in Bangladesh project” of DAE going on
with following objectives
 Upgrading 16 Quarantine laboratory
 Capacity development
personnel
for relevant
 Established central packing house at
Dhaka.
 Conducting PRA & Listing of Pests for 8
crops
 Establishment of 7 Post entry quarantine
centers
 Construction of
6 office-laboratory
building and repair maintenance of 7
existing office-laboratory
 Introduce
system.
e-phytosanitary certification
Activities done by Project
 Trained 1200 quarantine related personnel
 Organize 8 awareness building workshop on
Phytosanitary measures
 1(one) PRA(Pest Risk Analysis) already done &
3(Three) PRA of Wheat, Potato & Mango is in
progress
 Repair maintenance & extension of 7 Office cum
laboratory building going on
 Construction of 4 New office cum laboratory
building is in progress
 Central packaging house construction process
is going on
 Procurement of Laboratory equipment of
existing laboratory is going on
 Quick testing kits of Potato Brown rot already
been collected and kits of Bacterial canker of
citrus and salmonella of Betel leaf is coming
soon for quick testing at Airport.
 Handy microscope, Scanner, GCMS, Soft X-ray
machine procuring process is under way for
safe exportation & importation of Plant & Plant
Products.
Conclusion
 To increase successful export capacity
building in addressed areas is of prime
interest.

 To be practical, it is, therefore necessary to
try to comply with EU Directives,
international SPS rules and regulations,
both mandatory and
voluntary for
improving Citrus , fresh Vegetables & other
Plant and plant products export and import.
 To expedite exportation and Safe food
production through IPM approach
created a great enthusiasm among the
producers and consumers under the
direct and positive guidance of the
different Government agencies like DAE.
Government is also considering about
GAP for exportable vegetables and fruits.