The government is set to establish a National Plant Quarantine Authority to ensure the sustainability of the country's agricultural exports in the global market, according to a source.
This move aims to fulfil the requirements of the World Trade Organization's Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement.
To implement this initiative, the authorities will amend the Plant Control Act, which was enacted in 2011, to regulate the international transport of plants and plant products.
The act is to prevent the introduction and spread of pests and diseases and protect plant health within the country.
Currently, the director of the Plant Protection Wing under the Department of Agriculture acts as the national quarantine authority, exercising all powers under the Act.
However, the government has decided to establish a dedicated authority to strengthen regulations and boost exports.
Before finalising the establishment process, the authorities held a meeting with relevant officials, representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and various departments and organisations.
A draft proposal presented at the meeting is under review and will be finalised after incorporating stakeholder feedback.
"Establishing a National Plant Quarantine Authority is crucial to sustain the global trade of our agricultural products," said a senior official.
As a signatory to the WTO SPS Agreement, Bangladesh must comply with the deal to conduct import and export activities of plants and plant products, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
Besides, the Department underscores the importance of safeguarding Bangladesh's ag0riculture at ports by preventing the introduction of quarantine pests through imported plants, plant products, beneficial organisms and packing materials.
The proposed National Plant Quarantine Authority will act as a regulatory body.
It will act to boost and maintain the export of plants, plant products, beneficial organisms and packing materials according to the phytosanitary requirements of importing countries and in line with international agreements.
The Authority will regulate the import of plants, plant products, beneficial organisms and packing materials to prevent the introduction of quarantine pests into the country.
It will also regulate the export of plants, plant products, pests, beneficial organisms and packing materials according to the phytosanitary requirements of importing countries and in line with international agreements.
The authority will inspect and supervise consignments of plants, plant products, beneficial organisms and packing materials in international traffic that could potentially carry pests.
Other duties of the authority include inspection of growing plants, cultivated areas and stored or transported plants and plant products. It will take regulatory measures to prevent the outbreak and spread of pests.
The DAE also mentioned that the authority will issue phytosanitary certificates following the requirements of importing countries. Currently, Bangladesh exports agricultural products to 144 countries.
In the last fiscal year (FY) 2021-22, exports of agricultural goods and processed foods generated $1.16 billion in foreign exchange, representing a 13.04 per cent year-on-year increase, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data.
However, this figure declined to $840 million in FY 2022-23.
Despite the recent decline, the previous FY 2020-2021 marked a significant milestone, with Bangladesh-made agro-products exceeding the billion-dollar export mark for the first time in the country's history.
Agro-exporters shipped products worth $1.02 billion in that year, according to EPB data.
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