Rules and Regulations on the Movement, Transfer and Carrying of Citrus Plants and Planting Materials Nationwide

February 6, 2013

BPI SPECIAL QUARANTINE ORDER NO. 01-13

 

WHEREAS, citrus is a national priority fruit crop next to banana, pineapple and mango but production and value declined due to insect borne and bud transmissible diseases;

WHEREAS, recent studies have identified a number of these insect borne and bud transmissible diseases, namely: Huanglongbing (HLB) also known as Leaf Mottling or Citrus Greening; Citrus Tristeza Closterovirus (CTV), Xyloporosis, Psorosis, Citrus Exocortis Viroid (CEVd) and Citrus Tatter Leaf Virus (CTLV);

WHEREAS, under BPI Administrative Order No. 2, Series of 1969 (Internal), the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Cavite, Greater Manila, Tarlac, Bulacan, Zambales, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, and Nueva Viscaya have been declared as quarantine areas due Leaf Mottling disease thereby resulting to the present prohibition on the movement, transfer and carrying of citrus plants and planting materials outside the aforementioned provinces;

WHEREAS, it has been established that Leaf Mottling (HLB) and other insect borne and bud transmissible diseases are relatively widespread throughout the country as per official reports and recent studies of authorities and experts; cSaATC

WHEREAS, Filipino researcher's confirmed that HLB was found to be the most prevalent disease affecting citrus cultivars surveyed in the country;

WHEREAS, present program or endeavor to restore, develop and revive the citrus industry in certain regions and areas of the country is existing, and;

WHEREAS, regulatory measures have to be adopted in the movement, transfer and carrying of Citrus plants and planting materials nationwide to prevent the spread of other probable strains of HLB and other insect borne and bud transmissible diseases to other areas where they are not known to occur.

NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority vested in me by Section 17 of Presidential Decree No. 1433 (PD 1433) also known as The Plant Quarantine Law of 1978, I hereby promulgate the following rules and regulations on the movement, transfer and carrying of Citrus plants and planting materials nationwide and providing for regulatory measures to prevent the spread of probable strains of insect borne and bud transmissible diseases thereby allowing safe rehabilitation of Citrus industry in suitable areas.

SECTION 1. This Special Quarantine Order shall cover all individuals or nurseries intending to transfer, move, or carry citrus plants and planting materials.

SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. —

a. Accredited Plant Nurseries — duly accredited by the Crop Production Division (CPD) of the Bureau of Plant Industry in coordination with the Plant Quarantine Service (PQS)

b. Administrative Order No. 2 — refers to BPI Administrative Order No. 2, Series of 1969 (Internal) "Declaring the Leaf Mottling virus disease, a dangerous disease of citrus: Providing its control and placing under quarantine all the provinces where the disease already exists" TAcCDI

c. Budwood scion — the propagating planting material used in the asexual propagation of certain plants

d. Citrus plants/planting materials — any part of Citrus tree including budwood, seed or seedlings or any plants parts in the botanical family Rutaceae, subfamily Aurantioideae including the genera Citrus, Murraya, Triphasia (and other genera) which are later to be identified to harbor the vectors of any insect borne and bud transmissible diseases. For the purpose of this order, the above mentioned genera shall include but not limited to lemon, oranges, pomelo, calamansi, lime, calamondin and mock oranges

e. Domestic boundaries — boundaries of distinct areas within the country, defining provinces, municipalities, cities, districts, barangays, etc.

f. Domestic Permit to Transport — a clearance issued by an authorized Plant Quarantine Officer (PQO) allowing the transport of citrus plants/planting materials across domestic boundaries

g. Insect Borne and Bud Transmissible Diseases — refer to those diseases of Citrus which are transmitted by insect vectors and by mechanical means. They proliferate mainly through systemic invasion of the citrus plant from infected budwood and vegetatively propagated seedlings. Recent studies have named the diseases as follows: Huanglongbing (HLB), Citrus Tristeza Closterovirus (CTV), Citrus Exocortis Viroid (CeVd), Citrus Tatter Leaf Virus (CTLV), Psorosis and Xyloporosis. This list does not preclude other insect borne and bud transmissible diseases that shall be identified in the future

h. Plant Health Certification — a Certification issued by any capable BPI Centers/Stations, state universities/colleges and private nursery that the plants have been examined through any of the appropriate laboratory testing using biological indexing/side-shoot grafting, ELISA virus indexing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and other reliable test to be identified in the future for freedom from any insect borne and bud transmissible diseases CSHcDT

i. Laboratory Certification — a Certification issued by PQS that a private nursery laboratory is capable to conduct any of the appropriate in vivo and in vitro testing for detection and identification of insect borne and bud transmissible diseases

SECTION 3. The Huanglongbing (HLB) disease is a systemic fastidious bacterial disease of Citrus spp. caused by Candidatus liberibacter sp. and not by a virus as described in Administrative Order No. 2.

SECTION 4. The prohibition on the movement, transfer and carrying of Citrus plants and planting materials from the provinces declared as quarantine areas of Administrative Order No. 2 to any areas within the country is partially lifted subject to the conditions, rules and regulations set in Section 6 of this Order.

SECTION 5. The movement, transfer and carrying of Citrus plants and planting materials from the provinces not declared as quarantine areas in Administrative Order No. 2 shall be regulated subject to the following conditions, rules and regulations set in Section 6.

SECTION 6. The following regulatory measures shall be adopted on the movement, transfer and carrying of Citrus plants and planting materials.

SECTION 6.1. For Shipment of Six (6) Pieces or More. —

a. All nurseries intending to move, transfer and carry Citrus plants/planting materials nationwide shall signify their intention by writing a letter to the Director of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) through the Chief of Crop Production Division and the Chief of Plant Quarantine Service.

b. A system shall be devised by the PQS to ensure the capability of the nursery/farm to move, transfer or carry apparently diseased free citrus plants/planting materials.

c. A PQO must be present in the nursery to conduct inspection and supervision of the shipment operations such as washing, sorting, treatment, packing, loading, etc. aTcSID

d. Prior to the packing/shipment operations, the nursery concerned shall present a Plant Health Certification stating that the plants have been tested for freedom from any insect borne and bud transmissible diseases from any BPI Centers and Stations or any state universities/colleges within the vicinity of the nursery or from the nursery concerned with laboratories certified by PQS.

e. This Plant Health Certification shall serve as basis for the issuance of plant quarantine domestic Permit to Transport by a PQO after thorough visual examination and inspection.

f. The PQO shall ensure that only healthy citrus plants/planting materials apparently not manifesting signs and symptoms of the insect borne and bud transmissible disease and any other diseases may be allowed to be transported across domestic boundaries within the country.

g. Citrus plants/planting materials showing signs and symptoms of the insect borne and bud transmissible diseases and any other diseases shall not be allowed to be transported and therefore not issued a plant quarantine domestic permit to transport. The said citrus plants/planting materials shall be recommended for immediate destruction and/or proper disposal at the expense of the owner of the farm.

h. In the event that a PQO intercepts a domestic transport or shipment of citrus plants/planting materials without a domestic permit to transport, the said plants/planting materials shall be confiscated and subjected to proper disposal at the expense of the shipper. cSHIaA

SECTION 6.2. For Shipment of Five (5) Pieces or Less. —

a. The PQO shall ensure that only healthy citrus plants/planting materials from accredited citrus nurseries apparently not manifesting signs and symptoms of the insect borne and bud transmissible disease and any other diseases may be allowed to be transported across domestic boundaries within the country.

b. Citrus plants/planting materials showing signs and symptoms of the insect borne and bud transmissible diseases and any other diseases shall not be allowed to be transported and therefore not issued a plant quarantine domestic clearance/permit to transport. The said citrus plants/planting materials shall be recommended for immediate destruction and/or proper disposal at the expense of the shipper.

c. In the event that a PQO intercepts a domestic transport or shipment of citrus plants/planting materials without a domestic permit to transport, the said plants/planting materials shall be confiscated and subjected to proper disposal at the expense of the shipper.

SECTION 6.3. The PQO has the right to enter and inspect any farm where citrus plants/planting materials are planted, moved, transferred or carried. In case any infection or infestation is observed, he shall recommend for appropriate control measures or disposal at the expense of the owner. 

SECTION 7. The Crop Production Division in coordination with the Plant Quarantine Service shall devise a system and guideline for the accreditation of nurseries involved in the Citrus industry.

SECTION 8. The movement, transfer and carrying of citrus plants and planting materials by BPI Centers/Stations or any research facility of state universities/colleges for experimental purposes shall be allowed upon approval of the BPI Director.

SECTION 9. The Director of Bureau of Plant Industry may call upon the support of the local government units in the implementation of the provisions of this order as well as for the conduct of applicable control measures and dissemination of information to the general public. STHDAc

SECTION 10. All transportation companies operating by land, air and/or water; government and private shall cooperate with the BPI Director and/or PQO in the implementation of the provisions of this Order by not accepting or allowing shipments of citrus plants/planting materials that do not have a plant quarantine domestic clearance/permit.

SECTION 11. Pursuant to Section 23 of Presidential Decree No. 1433, the Plant Quarantine Law of 1978, any person, company of corporation who violates the provisions of this Order shall be fined not more than Twenty Thousand Pesos (Php20,000.00) or by imprisonment from prision correccional to prision mayor, or both, at the discretion of the court.

SECTION 12. If any of the provisions of this Order shall be held invalid, the remainder shall be operative.

SECTION 13. Any orders, rules and regulations inconsistent with its provisions are hereby superseded and/or revoked accordingly.

SECTION 14. This Special Quarantine Order shall take effect upon its approval and after appropriate publication.

APPROVED:

(SGD.) CLARITO M. BARRON, PhD, CESO IVDirectorBureau of Plant Industry