Friday, December 4 – Agricultural Officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour and the Department of Agriculture met with a representative from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) this week as a step towards enhancing collaboration between both parties.
Agricultural Scientist Mr. Lionel Wayne De Chi of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) for the Central America & Caribbean Region met with Chief Agricultural Officer Mr. Bevin Braithwaite and senior technical officers from the Department of Agriculture to perform an assessment on the Territory’s agricultural sector.
While in the Territory, Mr. De Chi also met with Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour Mr. Clyde Lettsome.
Stemming from the discussions, agricultural officials began developing a National Plant Pest List and database which will document communicable plant borne pests and diseases present in the Territory.
According to Mr. De Chi, “This will be part of an international process which is important for the import and export of plant material.”
Mr. Brathwaite said the development of this database will strengthen the Territory’s management of its imports and produce benefits which far outweigh the costs.
“It puts us in a better position to regulate our imports in terms of plant product and to prevent foreign diseases from entering the BVI. For us to ensure that we have a vibrant agricultural industry or to maintain the status quo that we have, it is necessary that we go that path,” Mr. Brathwaite said.
Another main benefit to be gained by the Territory from partnering with the USDA-APHIS will be the availability of training opportunities to assist the technical directorate as well as the chance for the Territory to partner with the Caribbean Plant Health Directors Forum.
Mr. De Chi said the “Caribbean Plant Health Directors Forum is based on safeguarding the region from the movement of plant borne pests and diseases around the region and to safeguard against the movement of pests and diseases from outside of the region into the region.”
Prior to his arrival in the Territory, Mr. De Chi visited Martinique and Anguilla. He left the Territory on Tuesday for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Effective July 1, 2009, the Department of Agriculture enforced the Animal (Importation and Diseases) Ordinance (Cap. 88) in an effort to implement preventative measures to minimize the introduction and spread of exotic animal diseases throughout the Territory’s animal population. The USDA representative’s visit served to further encourage the department to move in this same direction as it relates to the Territory’s plants and plant products.
The Department of Agriculture and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour are committed to implementing preventative measures to safeguard the Territory’s plant resources from the spread of communicable plant pests and diseases. Through the establishment of a National Plant List, the department strives to monitor known pests and diseases while improving sanitary standards within the Territory.
British Virgin Islands News