President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the Plant Health Bill into law, introducing measures to combat plant pests that threaten domestic agriculture and could affect South Africa’s ability to export agricultural products.
The Bill signed by the President repeals the Agricultural Pests Act of 1983 which up to now regulated the national plant health (phytosanitary) system.
“The new law responds to the concern that the introduction and spread of potentially damaging pests in South Africa could have a significantly negative impact on South African biosecurity, agricultural production and food security as well as on market access,” the Presidency said in a statement.
The Bill provides for phytosanitary measures to prevent the introduction, the establishment and spread of regulated pests to safeguard South African agriculture and plant natural resources.
It also provides for the control of regulated pests, regulation of the movement of plants, plant products and other regulated articles into, within and out of the Republic.
The law brings South Africa into compliance with the World Trade Organisation Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures as well as the International Plant Protection Convention.
“This compliance will support South Africa’s efforts to enter new markets and maintain current export markets, which will have a positive impact on the South African agricultural sector in terms of job creation and sustainable use of land and other natural resources,” the Presidency said. – SAnews.gov.za
