@FAO

Under the EU-funded Strengthening Plant Health Services in Tanzania for Enhanced Food Safety project, stakeholders from Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania recently convened to harmonize the Plant Health Acts. The objective of the meeting was to identify areas for alignment and draft a roadmap for harmonization, aiming to refine the process for a unified approach to plant health management in Tanzania.

The experts involved in the harmonization process include policy enforcers, planners, and legal teams from the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA), as well as representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture in both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Historically, issues related to agriculture were not among the union issues, leading to each part of Tanzania having its own plant protection act and implementation. However, with the recognition of the United Republic of Tanzania (URT) as one National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the harmonization of these acts became imperative.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as the custodian of the IPPC, plays a crucial role in ensuring adherence to international standards for phytosanitary measures. The IPPC aims to control the spread of plant pests and diseases through consignments, facilitating safe agriculture-based trade.

The need for harmonization was underscored by past incidents where the European Union’s Plant Protection Organization intercepted agricultural consignments from Tanzania suspected of being infested with pests of quarantine importance or having unacceptable pesticide residue levels. These incidents led to an audit of Tanzania’s Plant Health Services, revealing various deficiencies including ineffective surveillance, porous borders, and outdated procedures.

In response, the Strengthening Plant Health Services in Tanzania project was initiated with funding from the European Union, FAO, and the Government of the URT. With a total value of EUR 10,500,000, the project aims to address the queries raised in the audit by enhancing access to safe and quality agricultural produce for national and international markets.

Key expected results of the project include fulfilling international standards mandates, improving the capacity of plant health inspectors, operationalizing detection and traceability systems, strengthening sampling and transmission procedures, enhancing field plant protection services, and developing modern data collection and transfer practices.

Through collaborative efforts and a commitment to harmonization, Tanzania is poised to strengthen its plant health management systems, ensuring the safety and quality of its agricultural produce while facilitating trade and market access both domestically and internationally.

For more information please contact.

Victor Mapile

Communication for Development Specialist -FAO

FAO Tanzania

[email protected]

Mdili Katemani

National Project Coordinator

SREPHIT Project CUM TPHPA

[email protected]