INTRODUCTION

Within the contest of executing a formulated recommendation from the General Assembly, Yamoussoukro, (Ivory Coast), in April 2002, the IAPSC head office instructed the Department of pests and pesticides (DPP), to prepare from the preliminary study, a Seminar/workshop project on the Phytosanitary inspection and plant quarantine in favour of member States of Southern African countries sub-region.

This study has indicated that the training of plant quarantine officers and phytosanitary inspectors is important and of vital need in the chosen sub region. This project has been prepared by the Inter-African Phytosanitary Council of African Union to response to the need of those member States.

I - JUSTIFICATION AND CONTEXT

Southern African countries depend essentially from agriculture and businesses. More than sixty percent of the population of the sub-region depends actively on agriculture. This represents a considerable production support force to the economy that has more of their income from agriculture. This situation proves that agriculture is the backbone of the economy of the sub region.

Despites of natural difficulties such as disasters, poor climatic changes, plant pests (diseases, insects, bad weeds) and rudimentary tools of production, found in farms, the paysan of the sub-region spends no effort to increase the yield of agricultural exploitation.

Furthermore following increase constraints, food agro-industries that constitute the biggest customer of many countries are becoming more severe in the selection of agricultural commodities. In addition the agricultural development of tropical countries, with the improve means of production renders severe competition on the international markets.

It is within this framework that the search for high quality agricultural products, become crucial at the level of the protection of agricultural products such as to keep their sanitary quality and preserve not only their market competitiveness but also and more importantly their added value.

To achieve this objective, it is imperative to ensure the qualification of manpower charged with the treatment and control of the phytosanitary quality of agricultural products. Therefore there is an urgent need for training/recycling plant quarantine officers and phytosanitary inspectors to support the efforts of farmers and to favour the marketing of their agricultural products such as to significantly contribute to their socio- economic development.

II - OBJECTIVES

General objective :

Improve phytosanitary inspection and plant quarantine in Southern Africa, especially at the entrance and outlet points, like sea and air ports.

Specific objectives :

  Make them to acquire knowledges and new methods, currently existing in plant protection domain and more especially in Phytosanitary inspection of forest and agricultural products pests and diseases.
  Increase the skills and qualification of the man power, charged with plant quarantine and phytosanitary inspection in East Africa...The whole item can be read by clicking on the PDF or Word files below

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