The Directorate Plant Health and Quality is the official National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) of South Africa  in terms of South Africa's membership of the International Plant Protection Convention. 

Mission Statement

To strive for service excellence in:

• The standardisation, publication and regulation of norms for certain agricultural and related products

• The promotion and provision of propagation material of superior quality

• The prevention of agricultural pests and diseases being imported, exported or distributed

• The analysis of certain agricultural products to ensure compliance with prescribed standards on local and foreign markets

Aim

To promote and regulate the availability of healthy and productive plant material and the quality of agricultural products in South Africa. In pursuing this aim, the Directorate administers Agricultural Pests Act, 1983 (Act No. 36 of 1983), the Liquor Products Act, 1989 (Act No. 60 of 1989) and the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990).

Main functions

• To act as national contact point for the International Plant Protection Convention:  
  

  Department of Agriculture

  Directorate Plant Health

  Subdirectorate Plant Health

  Private Bag X258

  Pretoria

  0001

  South Africa

   

  Tel. (**27 12) 319 6100

  Fax (**27 12) 319 6350

  E-mail Mikeh@nda.agric.za

   

• To determine phytosanitary norms and standards to certify the health status of plants and plant products that are imported and exported  

• To conduct plant health auditing

• To render plant health services that include phytosanitary diagnostic services that include the provision of quarantine services  

• To establish and maintain international protocols and export work programmes  

• To facilitate plant health education and awareness programmes

• To render laboratory analytical services

• To regulate and promote the quality of agricultural products through legislative control

International Obligations

South Africa is a signatory member of inter alia:

• The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the World Trade Organisation (WTO-SPS)

• Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex)

• International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)

The WTO-SPS Agreement recognises the IPPC and Codex Alimentarius as the international organisations responsible for setting global standards for conducting plant health, sanitary and quarantine services..

An increase in transport and international trade of agricultural products promotes the spread of plants and plant products together with the harmful organisms associated with these products. An effort to prevent the international spread of harmful organisms came into effect during a conference of the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organisation in 1951 where the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) was approved.