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No.14/005/093/2004
May 11, 2004
Members of the Council,
Dear Members,
The Department of Agriculture & Co-operation in the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, issued Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order 2003 imposing certain conditions for import of plants and plant products into India. Accordingly, no consignment containing plant & plant products or consignment packed with packaging material of plant origin shall be permitted for import unless accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificates issued by an authorized officer at the country of origin.
In regard to definitions of certain important terms as outlined in Clause 2, the same are reproduced below:
Clause 2 (xv) Definition of Packing materials:
'Packing material' means any kind of material of plant origin used for packing, which shall include hay, straw, wood savings, wood chips, saw dust, wood waste, wooden pallets, dunnage mats, wooden packages, coir pith, peat or sphagnum moss etc.
Clause 2 (xviii) Definition of Phytosanitary Certificate:
'Phytosanitary Certificate' means a Certificate issued in the model format prescribed under the International Plant Protection Convention of the Food & Agricultural Organization and issued by an authorized officer at the country of origin of consignment or re-export.
The relevant extract of the Order-Sub clause (21)& (22) of clause 3 is reproduced below, which is self explanatory:
Clause 21
No consignment packed with the packaging material specified in clause 2(xiii) of this order shall be permitted import unless appropriately treated. The treatments shall include heat-kiln treatment at 56 C for a minimum of 30 hrs or Methyl Bromide fumigation at 48 g /cum for 32 hours or chemical impregnation of wood with wood preservatives such as copper chrome arsenic or any other approved treatment as per international standards and the treatment shall be endorsed in phytosanitary certificate
Clause 22
No article packed with packaging materials shall be released by the proper Officers of Customs unless the consignment is accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate in respect of said packing material:
provided that if no Phytosanitary Certificate is furnished in respect of said packaging material, the proper Officer of Customs shall grant out of charge only after clearance is obtained from local Plant Quarantine authorities, who shall grant clearance from the Quarantine angle and may, if deemed fit, subject the said packaging material to treatment at the expense of importer.
2 For necessary information of the trade, the full text of the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order 2003, and also other related information like application formats, contact details of the Regional Plant Quarantine Station offices in different parts of the Country, which are authorized to issue Phytosanitary Certificates, applicable fees etc are available in the Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Quarantine Organization of India website
www.plantquarantineindia.org
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3 According to Notification S.O.427 (E) No.8-5/2004-PP-1 dated Mach 29, 2004 issued by the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation, Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi, Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order 2003 shall come into force from June 1, 2004.
Members may take note of the above, and accordingly ensure to obtain Phytosanitary Certificates from their overseas suppliers while importing consignments packed with specified packaging materials of plant origin so as to facilitate customs clearance. Alternatively, members may approach local
Regional Plant Quarantine Station Offices (List enclosed) and obtain required permit for such import consignments.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
K Abdul Sattar Khan
Asst Director
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