Centre to set up autonomous body to tackle risk to farms from alien pests, weeds

New Delhi, March 11:  

To tackle the increased risk to agriculture from ‘exotic’ foreign pests and weeds, the Government proposes to integrate plant and animal quarantine services by creating an autonomous authority.

The proposed move would ensure a tighter quarantine regime, an official statement said.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Monday introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha that seeks to set up an autonomous authority – with adequate powers – for prevention, control, eradication and management of pests and diseases of plants and animals and unwanted organisms for ensuring agri bio-security.

The inflow of pests and diseases of plants and animals into countries through imports is considered one of the biggest threats to diversity, leading to huge economic losses.

For example, weeds such as Parthenium, Phalaris minor and Lanatana camara have already got established in the country.

Besides, the recent emergence and spread of transboundary diseases, such as avian influenza and the Ug-99, wheat stem rust fungus pose a threat not only to animal and plant safety, but human beings, too.

The Agricultural Bio-security Bill 2013 provides for modernising the legal framework to regulate safe movement of plants and animals within the country and international trade.

Safe movement

The Bill, when enacted into law, would also help India meet the international obligations for facilitating imports and exports of plants, plant products, animals, animal products, aquatic organisms and regulation of agriculturally important micro organisms.

The proposed authority - on the lines of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, would help administer agri-bio-security. When implemented, India would join the league of Australia, New Zealand and the US, which follow the integrated bio-security model.

The authority’s mandate will cover the four sectors of agricultural bio-security, - plant health, animal health, living aquatic resources (fisheries) and agriculturally important micro-organisms.

The proposed authority would also improve safety, efficiency, transparency and compliance of quarantine and pest management regulations and respond swiftly to contain emergent bio-security problems.