The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare has stressed on the pressing need to strengthen the country’s borderline quarantine facility in order to effectively combat the spread of plant pests and diseases.
Speaking on PSM News' ‘Raajje Miadhu’ programme, Director General of Animal Welfare, Hamid Ibrahim Fulhu said, similar to other countries Maldives also needs to quarantine imported plants at the borderline quarantine facility.
Hamid said the existing quarantine facility has been demolished, adding that the Ministry has secured the required approval from the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) to develop a brand new facility.
He attributed the present spread of plant diseases to the lack of a proper quarantine facility, adding that a well equipped facility remains pivotal to combat the spread of diseases among both plants and animals.
“As you may know white bellairs and such types of diseases have entered the country due to the lack of a strong quarantine system. Then there are animal-borne diseases that are very dangerous to humans. Diseases like bird flu are very dangerous to humans. So it is not possible to control such diseases from entering the country without a proper quarantine system. So we have attached highest priority to this," he explained.
Hamid also revealed that the Ministry has drafted the regulation on protected plant species in the Maldives.
The government has launched several initiatives to promote the agricultural industry and increase the safety of agricultural produce in the Maldives.
The ongoing efforts to establish a national laboratory to address the concerns of farmers and ensure the safety of agricultural products marks a significant milestone of the government’s vision.
Under this project, the quality of agricultural products and the standards of chemicals used will be strengthened, enhancing the safety of vegetables and fruits produced in Maldives and facilitating the production of healthy food products.