The 26th Session of The Asia and Pacific Plant Protection Commission(APPPC)

31st August to 4th September 2009, New Delhi, India

Country Report of Lao PDR

Presented bySiriphonh Phithaksoun

Deputy Director of Plant Quarantine DivisionDepartment of Agriculture,

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Lane Xang Avenue, Patuxay SquareP.O.Box 811, Vientiane, Laos

Tel: +856-21- 452649e-mail: syriphonh@gmail.com

Total area: 236,800 km2

Climate

• Tropical with two seasons: - Rainy season (April to October) - Dry season (November to March)

• Average temperature about 25-27 oc• Average rainfall: 1,500 - 2,000 mm• Average humidity: 70%

Population

Total population about : 6 million (female: 50.4%) Average growth rate: 2.6 %population density: 22 persons per Km2

The important crops:Rice, maize, soybean, mungbean, coffee,

tobacco, tea…

About 80% of population are engaged in agriculture

1. “Prime Minister Decree on Plant Quarantine” No.66/PM, dated 21 March 1993;

2. “Ministerial Agreement on Plant Quarantine Regulation” No.0369/MAF, dated 02 July 1993; 3. “Ministerial Notice on Role and Function and Standard for Entry/exit Plant Quarantine Stations for implementing the Prime Minister Decree No.66/PM” No.0754/MAF.DoA.06, dated 14 July 2006; 4. Plant Quarantine Law, dated 9 December 2008 approved by National Assembly.

Legal framework

Organizational Structure of Department of Agriculture

DOA

AD PD AMD RD PQD

PPC CADC

PAFOSection of Agriculture

PQ Stations

DOA: Department of AgricultureAD: Administration DivisionPD: Planning DivisionAMD: Agronomy Management DivisionRD: Regulatory DivisionPQD: Plant Quarantine DivisionPPC: Plant Protection CenterCADC: Clean Agriculture Development Center

Mandate of Plant Quarantine

• Monitor and control of plant quarantine (domestic and inter-country)• Manage National Phytosanitary Database• Control Phyto Certificate Issuance• Implement IPPC , Plant Health, and SPS co- ordination• Draft notices, recommendations on quarantine control• Create strategic plan related to plant quarantine and plant health• Conduct human resource development on plant quarantine and plant health

1999 Agricultural Regulatory Division, DOA, MAF2002 Reformed Plant Protection Center

2006 9 land border and river port plant quarantine border posts2007 Plant Quarantine Division

2007 Notice of Prime Minister (Government Secretariat) Number 405/Government Secretariat),

effective from 14 March 2007 “strengthening International Entry/Exit Points with mandating three organs: CIQ (Custom, Immigration and Pant –Animal Quarantine.

Set ups

a. DOA (Plant quarantine Division) 6b. Plant Protection Center 6c. Province Agriculture and Forestry Office 30

Total 42

Number of plant quarantine officials (2009)

Ministerial Notice on Role and Function and Standard for Entry/exit Plant Quarantine Stations for implementing the

Prime Minister Decree No.66/PM” No.0754/MAF.DoA.06 has determined:

1. Establishment of plant quarantine station;2. Setting up the standard of plant quarantine station;3. Role and function of plant quarantine station;4. Guideline of phytosanitary certificate issuance;5. Fee for phytosanitary certificate;6. Criteria for plant quarantine inspector (minimum

requirement, official uniform, and official plant quarantine inspection seal).

Position relating to the “Trade Agreement”

• July 1997 ASEAN member (agreement to AFTA, CEPT)

• 16 July 1997 Application to join the WTO• 19 Feb 1998 Establishment of working party• Oct 2004 First working party meeting• early 2006 Second working party meeting• end 2007 Third working party meeting

Before 1978 Ad-hoc system basis, no proper continuation• 1978 Establishment of plant protection service• 1979 FAO TCP “Strengthening Plant Protection Service”• 1983 FAO TCP phase II• 1988 End of external assistance• 2001 NZODA, later being NZAID “Phytosanitary

capacity development, Phase I”

Implementation of plant quarantine/plant protection activities

• The Department of Agriculture represents NPPO• Follows IPPC (New revised text 1997)• Be implementing ISPM No.3 (Guidelines for export, shipment, import and release of biological control agents and other beneficial organisms)• ISPM No.6 (Guidelines for pest surveillance)• ISPM No.7 (Guidelines for export certification system)• ISPM No.12 (Guidelines for phytosanitary certificates)• ISPM No. 15 (Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in international trade)• ISPM No.20 (Guidelines for a phytosanitary import regulatory system)

Role and function of NPPO

1. Lack of human resource, e.g. biologist, entomologist, plant pathologist, weed science, etc...;

2. Limited budget;3. Inadequacy of equipment, laboratory and tools;4. Insufficient legal framework for development of a market

oriented agriculture;5. Great diversity of socio-economic conditions in the

country;6. Significant role of border trade;7. Insufficient support services (extension, credit,...);8. Lack of information and publicity.

Major constraints for the developments

Entry/exit plant quarantine points

Plant Quarantine Division

1. Technical assistance for strengthening plant quarantine system and review existing regulations;

2. Improvement of inspection entry/exit points, laboratory, and equipment;

3. Capacity building (long term and short term training and OJT);

4. National and international collaboration and linkages;5. Public awareness.

Requirement for Phytosanitary Capacity Development

Welcome to 25th SEAGAMES

in Lao PDR

Thank You!