2 weeks Ago By moffatmungazi
MANICALAND Provincial Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDS) director, Mr Nhamo Mudada, has made history by becoming the first Zimbabwean to be certified by the International Plant Protection Convention – a feat expected to help the country in plant protection. Mr Mudada is among the only four individuals in Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to receive this certification, highlighting his expertise. IPPC is an international treaty to secure cooperation among nations in protecting global plant resources from the spread and introduction of plants pests to new areas, in order to preserve food security, biodiversity and facilitate safe trade.
It is the only international convention and reference organisation recognised under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement), dedicated to developing plant health standards. These standards are global instruments for the harmonisation of national phytosanitary measures for international trade that protect plants and their environment. The IPPC was established in 1951, and currently ratified by 185 member States, including Zimbabwe.
IPPC strategic objectives are to enhance global food security and increase sustainable agricultural productivity; protect the environment from the impacts of plant pests; and facilitate safe trade, development and economic growth. Mr Mudada paid tribute to his superiors in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development for giving him the chance to take part in the rigorous training, which will go a long way in strengthening plant health mechanism in the country. “I want to thank my principals for providing me with the opportunity, and strongly supporting me to participate in this rigorous training and ultimately getting certified as an internationally IPPC certified facilitator.
They really made this journey a success for me and the country as well. “May I also acknowledge that I am not the only plant health expert in the country; there are many plant health scientists who are present. “The training I did with the IPPC started in 2022 and run up to 2024.
It has made me the first Zimbabwean to be certified by the IPPC as a facilitator. The training continues after the certification process, since any new plant health issues must be understood by certified facilitators for them to remain relevant in the world of phytosanitary systems. “I feel more recognised, especially on my efforts towards strengthening the plant health systems of the country and the region where there is need to increase efforts to save the plants resources for food and agriculture from pests.
“You realise that given the three sisters of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS): food safety, animal health and plant health; there seem to be more emphasis on the importance of protecting the food safety and animal health, normally because we easily realise or see the impact inflicted to these two, death of our animals is consider critical gap, safety of food is also a gap,” he said. Mr Mudada said plant health should be given the same priority as that of animal disease to help farmers get better harvests free of pests attacks. He said for food security to be achieved as entailed in the National Development Strategy (NDS1), plant health must be prioritised.
“It is unfortunate that the general populace does not realise the immediate danger associated with death of plants or injuries inflicted to crops in the fields. That is why we note some gaps in enforcing plant quarantine or biosecurity measures unlike that for animal biosecurity/quarantine such as the foot and mouth disease. “We need health plants to ensure health sources of food, economies and livelihoods for those relying on crop production and trade, especially in the face of climate change.
“Climate change, associated with increasing temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns, is creating ideal conditions for plant pests and invasive species to spread rapidly, even to areas that they would not ordinarily be found. “This is important for the country as this will primarily make us achieve the objectives of the NDS1 where we will have food security and nutrition, zero hunger, protected environment and biodiversity, managed impact of climate change including on plant health, and easing safe trade to protect economies and livelihoods,” he said..
