Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Department of Agriculture

No. 0879/DOA

Vientiane Capital, Date: 20 April 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 Dried Cassava Root from the Lao PDR to the People's Republic of China, signed on 26 September 2013.

 

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 Dried Cassava Root from the Lao PDR to the People's Republic of China. As recently, dried cassava root 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 Dried Cassava Root that two countries have signed, particularly production and monitoring systems, and pest management of orchards as well as treatment procedures, cleaning and recording management of packing houses.

To ensure that the production and export management of dried cassava root from the Lao PDR is unified, transparent, and complies with the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Dried Cassava Root 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 Instructions:

I. Objectives

- To implement the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Dried Cassava Root from the Lao PDR to the People's Republic of China;

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

 

II. Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Dried Cassava Root from the Lao PDR to the People’s Republic of China.

1. Type Dried Cassava Root

According to the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements, dried cassava root to be exported from the Lao PDR to the People's Republic of China must be belonged to the botanical species name: Manihot esculenta, which is commonly known in English as "cassava.". It is a dried cassava that cut in piece and compressed into tablet.

 

2. Concern Quarantine Pests

Dried cassava root to be exported from the Lao PDR to the People’s Republic of China must be free of the quarantine pests as listed below:

 No Scientific name Common name Characteristics/descriptions Sample images

1 Heterobostrychus aequalis

 

2 Prostephanus

truncatus Larger grain borer 

 

3 Sinoxylon spp Cino Ceylon borer It is like a brown beetle. both young and old will destroy dried plants and dried wood after harvest that has risks to spread with products or packing materials.

 

4 Trogoderma granarium Khapra beetle The adults are brown, egg-shaped, and the head is dark brown with a size of 2-3 mm. The young stage is being worm with light brown hairs. Both the worm and growth stages destroy the plants in the warehouse after harvest.

 

5 Meloidogyne javanica

 

 

6 Cenchrus echinatus

 

7 Mimosa pigra Catclaw 

mimosa It is a leguminous plant species that is higher than 3 meters with thorns along the leaf and stem, the leaf is about 20 cm long. Its flower is in cluster on the top of leaf. Its fruit is plated and long around 5-10 cm. It has an effect starting from the planting to harvest periods, and it seeds still sticked with the cassava

 

8 Achatina fulica African giant snail 

 

 

 

2. Management of Orchards

Orchard of cassava 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) Quarantine pest management of Orchard must conduct 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;

2) 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. Packing Houses

1) There must be clean drying platforms and ovens. The cassava must be deeply washed to ensure cleanliness and prevent contamination from soil, grass seeds, and without debris and fungus;

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

3) Each packing must be printed or labeled with clear and appropriated in English/Chinese letters on its sides and top. Packing label must clearly provide name of the exporting company, type of plant species, orchard register number, packing house register number, and packing date;

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

5. Registration

Individuals, legal entities, or organizations intending to register or renew the registration of orchards, packing houses, and cold oven storage 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 May 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 case, the quarantine pests that listed in article 2 of chapter II of this Instruction are found during inspection, the respective consignment of dried cassava root 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;

3) In case, the consignment of dried cassava roots 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 dried cassava root and the phytosanitary certificate must include additional declarations starting with: ‘‘This consignment is compliance requirements described in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Dried Cassava Roots from Laos to China is free of soil and quarantine pests concerned by China.";

4) 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;

5) In case, the dried piece of casava or tablet compressed cassava has been fumigated or dried before export. Then the plant phytosanitary certification must be provided type of pesticides, quantity, usage time, temperatures, and time of drying.

7. Plant Quarantine Measures at Entry Checkpoints

1) When consignments of dried piece cassava or tablet compressed casava 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.

2) Consignment of dried cassava root originating from unregistered production facilities are strictly prohibited from being imported.

3) In case, the quarantine pests that listed in article 2 of chapter II of this Instruction are found during inspection, The affected consignment of dried cassava root 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 dried cassava root from orchards or packing houses where the quarantine pests are found will be also suspended. Operators must investigate the cause of pests and implement appropriate measures to prevent recurrence.

4) In case, metal, toxic residue or pesticides are found excessive beyond the defined standards during the inspection. The affected consignment of dried cassava root will be forced to return or destroy, and immediately inform to the Lao Authorities.

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 Plant Quarantine Division collaborate with Provincial/Capital Agriculture Divisions to period inspect and assess pest risk of the orchard. And submit the list of individuals, legal entities, or organizations that have been authorized to export dried cassava root to the Department of Plant and Animal Quarantine, General Administration’s Customs of the People’s Republic of China for their consideration once a year.

3. Appoint the Provincial/Capital Agriculture Divisions collaborate with the Department of Agriculture to support and monitor operators in implementation of pest prevention and elimination of cassava orchard and packing houses as well as measures of pest risks reduction that specified in the article 2 of chapter II of this Instruction and the period report to the Department of Agriculture;

4. Appoint the Provincial/Capital Agriculture Divisions to support, monitor, and inspect production factors (plant species, fertilizer, pesticide, and production materials) and then period report to the Department of Agriculture;

5. Appoint the Plant Quarantine Division takes the lead to collaborate with Provincial/Capital Agriculture Divisions to period summarize and report to the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry regard to the exports of dried piece cassava or compressed tablet casava from the Lao PDR to the People’s Republic of China.

6. Appoint the Plan Quarantine Authorities to strictly and technically implement in the inspection and certification of export dried piece cassava or compressed tablet casava;

7. 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 takes effect on the day of signing.

 

 

#	Title	Download
1	Instruction on plant hygiene measures for the export of cassava from Lao PDR to China, No. 0879/DA, date 20 April 2023.	PDF
2	ຄໍາແນະນໍາ ກ່ຽວກັບ ເງື່່່ອນໄຂສຸຂານາໄມພືດ ສໍາລັບການສົ່ງອອກມັນຕົ້ນ ຈາກ ສປປ ລາວ ໄປ ສປ ຈີນ, ເລກທີ 0879/ກປຝ, ລົງວັນທີ 20 ເມສາ 2023.	PDF