Plant Quarantine (Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth) Orders

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has issued three Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Orders. These orders were issued from 25th October to 2nd November, 2023.

The three orders are as follows:

• Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) (Twelfth Amendment) Order, 2023 which came into force on 25th October, 2023
• Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) (Thirteenth Amendment) Order, 2023 which came into force on 30th October, 2023 and
• Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) (Fourteenth Amendment) Order, 2023 which came into force on 2nd November, 2023

These Amendment Orders have revised the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003.

The Twelfth Amendment Order has revised the points of entry for imports of plants/plant materials and other articles. The amendment has now added to new seaports to the permitted list of seaport. These seaports are Campbell Bay (Andaman & Nicobar Island) and Car Nicobar (Andaman & Nicobar Island).

The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendment Orders have revised the list of plants/plant materials permitted import with additional declarations and special conditions.

The Thirteenth Amendment Order envisages the import of fruits for consumption of Malus domestica (Apple) from Germany subject to the following:

These imports should bear the following additional declarations in their Phytosanitary certificate:

• Free from:

1. Aculus schlechtendali (Apple rust mite)
2. Adoxophyes orana (Summer fruit tortrix)
3. Amphitetranychus viennensis (hawthorn (spider) mite)
4. Archips podanus (great brown twist moth)
5. Candidula intersecta (wrinkled dune snail)
6. Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly)
7. Cydia pomonella (codling moth)
8. Epidiaspis leperii (European pear scale)
9. Erwinia amylovora (fire blight)
10. Forficula auricularia (European earwig)
11. Harmonia axyridis (harlequin ladybird)
12. Hedya nubiferana (bud moth)
13. Hoplocampa
14. Leucoptera malifoliella (Pear leaf blister moth)
15. Orthosia cerasi (Common quaker)
16. Pandemis heparana (apple brown tortrix)
17. Pezicula malicorticis (apple anthracnose)
18. Phytophthora cryptogea (tomato foot rot)
19. Ametastegia
20. Byturus tomentosus (raspberry beetle)
21. Cornu aspersum (common garden snail)
22. Grapholita funebrana (red plum maggot)
23. Grapholita molesta (Oriental fruit moth)
24. Operophtera brumata (winter moth)
25. Ostrinia nubilalis (European maize borer)
26. Peridroma saucia (pearly underwing moth)
27. Pseudomonas viridiflava (bacterial leaf blight of tomato (USA))
28. Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm)
29. Venturia pyrina (black spot of pear)

Such import shall also be subject to the following special conditions:

• Methyl Bromide fumigation @32 g/m3 for 2 hrs at 21°C or above at NAP or equivalent thereof. OR
• Pre-shipment cold treatment at 0°C or below for 13 days; 0.55°C or below for 14 days; 1.1°C or below for 18 days; plus in-transit refrigeration.
• The treatment should be endorsed on Phytosanitary certificate issued at the country of origin/re-export.

The Fourteenth Amendment Order envisages the import of fresh fruits for consumption of Persea Americana (Avocado) from Australia subject to the following:

These imports should bear the following additional declarations in their Phytosanitary certificate:

Free from:

1. Avocado sunblotch viroid (Avocado sun blotch)
2. Bactrocera aquilonis (Northern Territory fruit fly)
3. Bactrocera jarvisi (Jarvis’ fruit fly)
4. Bactrocera tryoni (Queensland fruit fly)
5. Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly)
6. Ceroplastes destructor (White wax scale)
7. Diaporthe perseae (syn. Phomopsis perseae) (Branch canker, avocado stem-end rot complex)
8. Dothiorella aromatic Branch canker, avocado stem-end rot complex)
9. Phytophthora cryptogea (Tomato foot rot)
10. Thaumatotibia zophophanes (Avocado fruit borer)

Such import shall also be subject to the following special conditions:

• Export consignment must comply with a systems approach for production, processing, and export of avocado fresh fruit (or)
• Pest free area status for fruit flies as per ISPM Standards (or)
• In-transit cold treatment at 0oC or below for 10 days; 0.55oC or below for 11 days; 1.1 C or below for 12 days against fruit fly(or) Pre-shipment treatment options as follows, Cold treatment at 0 C or below for 10 days; 0.55 C or below for 11 days; 1.1 C or below for 12 days against fruit fly (or)
• Methyl bromide fumigation @ 32 g/m3 for 3 ½ hrs at 21 C or above at NAP or equivalent thereof against fruit flies.
• The details on pest mitigation measure and freedom status of 10 Quarantine Pests are required to be endorsed in the Phytosanitary Certificate.