Rep o rt of th e tw en - Rotterdam Convention

The plant protection methods were regulatory, cultural, mechanical and chemical. The biological
and genetic control methods, although being used, remain to be exploited. IPM in cotton and rice
has given good results and was expanded to cover more crops and areas. With the exception of
a few acres of aerial spraying over orchards in Baluchistan, all the plant protection operations were
carried out by the private sector.
The pest infestation picture was the same as in the previous years and the usual control
operations continued to be taken. In the last four years, a tree decline disease has affected mango
plants in Sindh and Punjab. Mite attack on dates caused heavy losses in Baluchistan Province in
the last years. Red Palm weevil was becoming important in Sindh. A new strain of Cotton Leaf
curl virus – popularly called “burewala strain” – rendered resistance ineffective in the current varieties.
However, it was localized and was contained through integrated management. The locust threat
was there, but the situation was calm.
The national IPM programme established in 2000 has executed three major initiatives from
2000 to 2004 in an integrated strategy through the Farmer Field School approach: 1) FAO-EU
Regional Project “Cotton IPM Programme for Asia” (2000-2004), 2) ADB-FAO Pakistan Project
“Cotton IPM Programme” (2002-2004), and 3) AGFUND-FAO Pakistan Project “Pesticide Risk
Reduction for Women in Pakistan (pilot initiative within the FAO/EU Programme for “IPM in Cotton
in Asia” (2002-2003). The programme trained 10 000 small-scale farmers by the end of 2004. Under
the National IPM initiative approved in July 2003 and effective in 2004, at a cost of Rs.197 million
for five years, IPM was being pursued on a system-wide basis rather than a commodity basis. The
initiative seeks to reach 50 000 farmers by the end of 2009.
The guidelines on the main international standards for phytosanitary measures received from
the IPPC from time to time were considered and adopted according to the resources available and
conditions prevalent. Pakistan is committed to implementing the international and regional
phytosanitary standards and collaborating in this regard at regional and international levels according
to available resources. Training programmes on quarantine operations, pest risk analysis and pest
eradication, and upgrading the institutions would be highly beneficial for stringent implementation
of the standards.
Pesticides were registered under the Agricultural Pesticide Ordinance 1971 read with the
Agricultural Pesticides (Amendment) Act 1992 and 1997. No pesticide identified by the Rotterdam
Convention and Stockholm Convention was registered in Pakistan and hence could not be used.
Up to the year 2002, 1 441 brands of pesticides and 1 004 products under generic names were
registered. Twenty-three pesticides have been de-registered. Further reviews took place to review
the situation. Agricultural Pesticides Rules for registration of manufacturing, formulation and repacking
units were amended in December 2002, followed by further amendments and policy guidelines by
the Cabinet in 2004. The Pesticide Act has been revised and was placed before Parliament for
approval in 2005.
3.15 The Philippines
The Philippines, as a developing country, was faced with many challenges resulting from
changes in the international order of global trading. The most enormous challenge was the increase
in trading of goods and movement of people which increased the risk of pest introduction into the
country.
The NPPO, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) through the Plant Quarantine Service, was
the agency mandated to regulate the movement of plants and plant products. Regulation was
implemented through legislation, regulations, administrative orders and special orders issued by the
Secretary of the Department of Agriculture or the Director of the BPI.
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