The United Nations designated 12 May the International Day of Plant Health (IDPH). The day is a key legacy of the International Year of Plant Health 2020. Celebration of this day started in May 2022. It is a day organized by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat and FAO.
Objective of the day
The purpose of this day is to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and environment as well as boosting economic development.
Goals of the International Day of Plant Health are to:
- Increase awareness of the importance of keeping plants healthy in order to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Zero hunger)
- Campaign to minimize the risk of spreading plant pests through trade and travel (compliance with ISPMs)
- Strengthen monitoring and early warning systems to protect plants and plant health
- Enable sustainable pest and pesticide management to keep plants healthy, at the same time protecting the environment.
- Promote investment in plant health innovations, capacity development and outreach.
The Department of Plant Health in the Ministry of Agriculture is already rallying behind these objectives.
In order to achieve this, the department has set five sections as follows:
- Phytosanitary – deals with importation and exportation of plants and plant products, together with market access
- Pest Management – deals with plant pest, both migratory and quarantine pests.
- Weed Management – control of both noxious and invasive weeds
- Agro-chemicals – deals with purchase, handling and safe use of chemicals and fertilizers
- Post-harvest – protecting stored produce for both horticulture and grains from storage pests such as weevils and Large Grain Borer
The department also has a laboratory for testing pesticide residues in all plants and plant products, for quality control of agro-chemicals (for compliance).
The laboratory as well tests for micro-toxins in cereals and nuts and heavy metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium and other trace metals.