The Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD)
The Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) was established in 1965 by an Act of Parliament: Prevention and Control of Pests and Diseases, Act 307 now replaced by “Plants and Fertilizer Act, 2010 (Act 803). The PPRSD is the National Institution with the mandate and capacity to organize, regulate, implement and coordinate the plant protection services needed for the country in support of sustainable growth and development of Agriculture. The national plant protection policy is the Integrated Pest Management IPM (1992).
Vision
To render efficient, environmentally friendly, safe and economically sustainable plant protection and regulatory services that will meet the requirements of the clientele and thus contribute to increased food and raw material production.
Mission
To provide services in order to safeguard quality and quantity of crops from losses by pests and diseases.
Goal
To contribute to sustainable reduction of crops losses caused by pests and diseases, currently estimated at 30-50% to about 10-15%, with substantially reduced use of hazardous pesticides.
The Directorate is structured into four Divisions
Crop Pests and Disease Management Division
Seed Inspection and Certification Division
Pesticides and Fertilizer Regulatory Division
Plant Quarantine Division
The Directorate offers Public services to; Extensionists, Farmers, Importers/ Exporters of Agricultural goods, Pesticide Dealers and Applicators, Seed Producers and Dealers, Fertilizer Dealers, Consuming Public and coordinates compliance with obligations in Multilateral Plant Protection Agreements.
Crop Pests and Disease Management
The Division derives its mandate from Part I of the “Plants and Fertilizer Act, Act 803 (2010).
The Crop Pests & Disease Management Division develops Good Agricultural Practices (GAPS), guidelines for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of food crops. The division carries out training and provides comprehensive diagnostic and identification services of plant pest and diseases for stakeholders, monitors the pest situation in the country, ensures effective control of plant pests, manages calamity pest outbreak (eg armyworms, grasshoppers etc), and carries out classical bio-control measures (mass rearing and release of bio-agents), and serves as secretariat for National Fruit Fly Management Committee and National IPM programme.
Seed Inspection and Certification
Part II of the “Plants and Fertilizer Act, Act 803 (2010)
The Division provides technical support in the production of quality seeds and planting materials. This is achieved through; field inspection, training of major stakeholders, laboratory analysis on seed samples, monitoring quality of seed and seed certification.
Pesticides and Fertilizer Regulatory
The Division derives its mandate from the following Acts: Part III of the “Plants and Fertilizer Act, Act 803 (2010) and Part II of Environmental Protection Agency Act 490 (1994).
The Division supervises and trains Regulatory inspectors, publishes information materials, registers and trains pesticides and fertilizer dealers and applicators, keeps records as well as statistics of pesticides and fertilizers and manages pesticide and fertilizer stocks in the country. It supervises bio-efficacy trials carried out by research.
Plant Quarantine
The mandate the division is found in “Part I of the Plants and Fertilizer Act”, Act 803 (2010).
The Division works closely with the Customs Excise and preventive Services (CEPS) at all the official entry points. It supervises and trains Phytosanitary inspectors, develops and publishes information materials, keep records of plant imports and exports, the importers and exporters, as well as pests and diseases of quarantine importance.
It issues phytosanitary certificates and import permits. It also operates the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Enquiry point. The Division also caries out inspection on marketing quality standards on fresh fruits and vegetables for export. Relevant International Standards for Phytosanitary measures (ISPMs) are implemented by the Division.