PROPOSED PLANT HEALTH BILL TO ENHANCE AGRICULTURE SECTOR

ACCORDING to the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO), plant pest and diseases is a major cause of food crop losses and accounts for 40 percent and the damage they cause to agriculture production exacerbates world hunger and threatens rural livelihood.

The Department of Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Services in the Ministry of Agriculture under the Plant Pest and Diseases Act Cap 233 of 1958 has been mandated to provide for the eradication and prevention of the introduction of plant pests and diseases in the country including their establishment and spread.

However, the Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary services under its current CAP 233 (1958) is inadequate to address emerging issues caused by rapid changes in political, economic, social and technological advancements.

In a speech read by the Acting District Administrative Officer Stanford Petulo during the provincial consultative stakeholder meeting for the draft plant health bill in Kabwe, the District Commissioner, Mr Lennox Shimwambwa said the current CAP 233(1958) was inadequate to address emerging issues in the plant quarantine and phytosanitary service.

“Due to rapid changes in political, economic, social and technological advancements, CAP 233 in its current form is inadequate to address emerging issues in the plant quarantine and phytosanitary service,” he said.

Mr Shimwamba has thus welcomed the move by Government through the Ministry of Agriculture to repeal and replace the plant pests and diseases Act CAP 233 (1958) and replace it with a new Act, the Plant Health Act 2023.

He noted that Government has placed a premium on agricultural transformation for wealth and job creation hence the need to have in place modern and responsive laws. Mr Shimwambwa said the repealing and replacing of the Plant Pest and Diseases Act Cap 233 of 1958 is envisioned to enhance the protection of Zambia’s agriculture industry against the introduction of new pests and diseases as well as ensure access to international markets for the country’s agricultural commodity.

He also noted that the current Act lacks provision for the country to domesticate international instruments especially those related to international trade and plant health such as the International Plant Protection Convention, the World Trade Organisation and the Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement application.

At the same event, Assistant Director of Policy and Planning Department in the Ministry of Agriculture, Paul Mumba said it is the government’s desire to increase export of agricultural products but this can only be achieved by putting in place proper functioning laws which will be able to facilitate trade between Zambia and its neighbours and countries beyond.

And Ms Justina Chivanga, a Senior Plant Health Inspector said the new proposed Plant Health bill 2023 when enacted into law will not only reduce time in border processing of consignments but also inspectors and traders will have real-time access to information on phytosanitary requirements for exporting and importing of plant and plants products.