Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Department of Agriculture

No. 0185/DOA

Vientiane Capital, Date: 31 January 2023

 

 

- Pursuant to the Plant Protection and Quarantine Law No. 13/NA, dated 15 November 2016;

- Pursuant to the Minister’s Decision on the Organization and Implementation of the Department of Agriculture No. 0078/MAF, dated 12 January 2022;

- Pursuant to the Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Passion Fruits from the Lao PDR to the People's Republic of China, signed on 13 September 2021.

 

In recent years, the policies on promote the agricultural commodity production has been implemented, resulting in an increasing exchange and trade of agricultural commodities with both regionals and internationals. In this regard, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR and the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China have signed the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Fresh Passion Fruit from the Lao PDR to the People's Republic of China. As recently, passion fruit has been largely cultivated, generating income for local people and making significant contribution to the socio-economic development of the country. However, the implementation of these promotional measures has not yet been fully consistent with the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Fresh Passion Fruit, particularly in terms of production and monitoring systems, pest management, treatment procedures, cleaning management of packing houses, and keeping management.

To ensure that the production and export management of fresh passion fruit is unified, transparent, and complies with the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Fresh Passion Fruit from the Lao PDR to the People's Republic of China, as well as the laws, regulations, and international agreements on plant protections of both the Lao PDR and the People's Republic of China are parties.

Department of Agriculture Issues the Instruction:

I. Objectives

- To implement the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Fresh Passion Fruit from the Lao PDR to the People's Republic of China;

- To determine consistent procedures for applying phytosanitary requirements for exports, throughout the country.

 

II. Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Passion Fruit from the Lao PDR to the People’s Republic of China.

1. Type Passion Fruit

According to the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements, passion fruit to be exported from the Lao PDR to the People's Republic of China must be produced in Laos, be fresh, and belongs to the botanical species name: Passiflora edulis, which is commonly known in English as "passion fruit."

 

2. Concern Quarantine Pests

Passion fruit to be exported from the Lao PDR to the People’s Republic of China must be free of the quarantine pests listed below:

 No Scientific name Common name Characteristics/descriptions Sample images

1 Bactrocera correcta

 

2 Alternaria

passiflora

Passion fruit The brown spot disease in passion fruit is caused by the Alternaria passiflora fungus then destroys the leaf and fruit, its symptom looks like shaped spots.

 

 

 

3 Lasiodiplodia theobromae

 

 

Brown pod rot

Theobromae pathogen. It destroys leaf and fruit and makes rotten leaves and fruits

 

4 Passion fruit woodiness virus

Disease Passionfruit Woodiness Disease is caused by

Lasiodiplodia theobromae pathogen.

It destroys and makes variegation and distortion of leaf and abnormally shaped and hard fruit.

 

 

2. Management of Orchards

Orchard of passion fruits that intended for export to the People's Republic of China must comply with the measures of pest control inspections and integrated management practices as follows:

1) Orchard management must follow the requirements of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) regards to the safety of products, which includes: terms of record and management of orchard; use of plant varieties, fertilizers, soil conditioner, water, chemical applications; harvesting and product management; housing, cleaning and sanitation; pest and livestock control; personnel hygiene; keeping product quality, storage, and transportation; traceableness, and recalls; training, document note taking, and reviews;

2) Pest management of orchard needs implement with the Integrated Pest Management (IPM), such as using pheromone traps, yellow glues, hygienic keeping of orchards, removing fallen and diseased fruits, pruning, conserving useful insects, and employing physical and other appropriated techniques to destroy pests when they are found;

3) Orchard operators must keep records of pest management and monitoring such as chemical names, application periods, active substances, quantity, frequency, and other related information. Recorded documents should be properly kept and readily available for inspection by authorities;

4) Production facilities must have safety measures to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 pandemic for products and workers.

4. Packing Houses

1) Select passion fruits which are free from rot, disease, insects, leaves, and other residues. And they must be washed, and pathogens eliminated by utilized fungicides treatment after harvested

2) Passion fruits must not contaminate with living organisms, soil, plant residues, or hazardous substances like pesticides, heavy metals, microorganism, or other toxic residue not exceeding permissible levels that set by regulations and laws of the People’s Republic of China;

3) Packing materials must be cleaned, never used, and complied with phytosanitary requirements of the People's Republic of China;

4) Each packing must be printed or labeled with clear and appropriated in English letters on its sides and top. Details of label should consist of the following information;

- Export to the People's Republic of China ……………………………… ………

- Name of the exporting company: ………………………………………………..

- Fruit type: ………………………………………………………………………..  

- Orchard register number: ……………………………………………………….. 

- Packing house register number: …………………………………………………

- Packing date: ……………………………………………………………………

 

5) After packing, it must be stored separately in clean and cold storage facilities to prevent contamination and pest infestation;

6) In cases, wooden packing materials are used, the wood must be treated with heat at a minimum core temperature of 56°C for at least 30 minutes or fumigated with Methyl bromide by the rates as the following tables:

Temperature Dosage Rate (g/m³) Maximum Concentration (g/m³)

21°C or higher 48 36 31 28 24

16°C or higher 56 42 36 32 28

10°C or higher 64 48 42 36 32

 

Note: Wooden packing materials that have been fumigated must be certified by the Department of Agriculture. The fumigation operators must be registered with the Department of Agriculture following the procedures and methods specified in the Instruction of Technical Guidelines and Principles for the Control and Use of Wood as Packaging Material for International trade No. 0053/DOA, dated January 23, 2006.

5. Registration

Individuals, legal entities, or organizations intending to register or renew the registration of orchards, packing houses, and cold storage facilities must follow with the regulations declared periodically by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Applications for registration must be submitted to the Department of Agriculture in January and June of each year.

The application for registration includes the following documents:

1. A completed application form as specified by the Department of Agriculture;

2. A copy of the operated license of agricultural and forestry activities;

3. A copy of the recent annual tax clearance certificate;

4. An operational manual on management of plant sanitary and phytosanitary;

5. A power of attorney and a copy of applicant’s identity card, in cases, instead appointing another applicant to summit applications.

The registration certificate is valid for one year and can be renewed. Operators that have been approved and registered as exporters will be declared with their details, including name, address, and registration number on the official website of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China.

6. Phytosanitary Measures Before Export

Individuals, legal entities, or organizations that have been approved as exporters by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China must conduct with the following requirements:

1) Request applications and its relevant attached documents should be submitted to either the Department of Agriculture or the Provincial Agriculture Divisions. For requirements and procedures applying for a phytosanitary certificate, applicants must follow the Instructions No. 2880/DOA, dated December 11, 2019, issued by the Department of Agriculture;

2) In the first year of exports, the Plant Quarantine Authority of the People's Republic of China will be officially invited into the Lao PDR by the Department of Agriculture to monitor and inspect orchards of passion fruits and its management system based on the requirements of this Instruction. Passion fruit exporters will be responsible for all related expenditures of monitoring and inspecting procedures;

3) Random sampling and inspection in the first two years, must cover 2% of each consignment. If the quarantine pests are not found, the random sampling and inspection shall be reduced to 1% in the third year. After random sampling and inspection of 1% or 2% completed, then the 30 percents of samples shall be selected to detailly test and inspect for quarantine pests;

4) In case, the quarantine pests that listed in article 2 of chapter II of this Instruction are found during inspection, the respective consignment of passion fruit must not be exported, and the finding must be reported immediately to the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to investigate orchards areas and seek for corrective measures.

5) In case, the consignment of passion fruits is not found any quarantine pests by the inspection of the Plant Quarantine Authorities. Then a phytosanitary certificate must be issued for the consignment of passion fruit and the phytosanitary certificate must include additional declarations starting with: ‘‘This consignment of passion fruit complies with the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Passion Fruits from Laos to China and is free of soil and the quarantine pests concerned by China.";

6) Plant Quarantine Authority responsible for issuing phytosanitary certificates must stipulate the designated import checkpoints that approved by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China for each period.

7. Plant Quarantine Measures at Entry Checkpoints

When consignments of passion fruit from the Lao PDR arrived at the entry Checkpoints in China, the consignment owner must summit all required documents to the Chinese Plant Quarantine Authorities for inspection and verification.

Consignment of passion fruit originating from unregistered production facilities are strictly prohibited from being imported.

In case, the quarantine pests that listed in article 2 of chapter II of this Instruction are found during inspection, The affected consignment of passion fruit will be forced to return, destroy, or subject to effective quarantine and pest eradication measures. Chinese Plant Quarantine Authorities will immediately notify the Lao Authorities regard to the type of pest, the phytosanitary certificate number, and other relevant information. And the imports of passion fruit from orchards or packing houses where the quarantine pests are found will be also suspended. Exporters must investigate the cause of pests and implement appropriate measures to prevent recurrence.

It must be recorded in the case of an outbreak or infestation of new types of pests at Chinese entry checkpoints, and the exporters are called to cooperate in risk assessment processes to review the quarantine pest list and seek for control measures of mitigate risks.

If residues of chemicals or pesticides are found exceed the standard values during the inspections, then that consignments of tobacco leaves will be forcibly returned or destroyed, and Lao Authorities will be immediately informed that same as to the found of pests.

III. Implementation

1. Appoint the Plant Quarantine and Agriculture Divisions take the lead to collaborate with other relevant sectors to monitor, inspect, and disseminate this Instruction effectively;

2. Appoint the Plant Quarantine Division submit the list of individuals, legal entities, or organizations that have been authorized to export passion fruit to the Department of Plant and Animal Quarantine, General Administration’s Customs of the People’s Republic of China for consideration twice a year. And collaborate with Agriculture Divisions and its line divisions to monitor, inspect, and assess pest risks of production facilities in each period;

3. Appoint the Plant Quarantine Division takes the lead to collaborate with Agriculture Division and its line Divisions to period summarize and report to the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and forestry regard to the exports of passion fruit from the Lao PDR to the People’s Republic of China.

4. Appoint the Plan Quarantine Authorities to strictly and technically implement in the inspection and certification of export passion fruit;

5. In the actual implementation, any convenience or challenges should be timely reported to the Department of Agriculture for immediate consideration of corrective measures.

              This Instruction becomes effective on the day of signing.

 

 

 

#	Title	Download
1	Guidelines on Plant Sanitation for the export of passion fruits from Laos to China, No. 0185/DA, date 31 January 2023.	PDF
2	ຄໍາແນະນໍາ ກ່ຽວກັບ ເງື່່ອນໄຂສຸຂານາໄມພືດ ສໍາລັບການສົ່ງອອກ ໝາກນອດສົດ ຈາກ ສປປ ລາວ ໄປ ສປ ຈີນ, ເລກທີ 0185/ກປຝ, ລົງວັນທີ 31 ມັງກອນ 2023.	PDF