RM3 mln spent annually on crop disease and pest eradication since 2010 - MAFI

SEREMBAN: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI), through the Agriculture Department, has spent at least RM3 million annually since 2010 until now on boosting the Plant Pest and Disease Eradication Programme.

Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said the department, as part of the National Plant Protection Organisation, always strived to ensure that the implementation of plant and crop biosecurity be made a priority towards sustainable agriculture.

"MAFI's development allocation through the 11th and 12th Malaysia Plans involves various programmes including improving the import and export facilities so as to adhere to the international sanitation and phytosanitation standards.

"This is to ensure that the country's biosecurity system is always in a state of preparedness in protecting the agriculture sector and biodiversity from the entry and spread of plant pests and diseases," he said in his speech at the Plant Biosecurity Symposium 2022, here, today.

Ronald said that enforcement of the related acts and regulations also played an important role in controlling the entry of plant pests into the country.

He said the use of biological agents, development of bio-pesticides and boosting the population of natural enemies in the environment for pest control was also important in reducing pesticide residue in the agriculture products and environment.

"The ministry will also expand the National One-Stop Quarantine Centre (OSQC) at the country's main importation and exportation entry point for agriculture and agrofood products towards strengthening biosecurity control.

"The OSQC is an integrated facility with services related to agrofood such as inspection, quarantine, testing, research, monitoring and disposal of agriculture commodities and agrofood products.

"This has been developed to incorporate the use of high technology, automation and standards in ensuring that the biosecurity control are achieved by supporting and complementing trade activities such as import and export, transit, transhipment, transloading and further processing of agriculture commodities and agrofood products," he added.

-- BERNAMA