BP Singh

Plant Quarnatine Regulations and their implementation in India 53(c) Bulk import of planting materials. is required t~ bediscouraged as far as possible and if consideredessential, these should be imported from seed companiesreputed to produce planting materials under strictphytosanitary conditions. .(d) . For effective implementation of domestic quarantine,State Departments of Agriculture/Horticulture shouldhave separate plant quarantine wings/units.(e)Most problems related to plant quarantine functioningin the country are due to lack of proper appreciationof the risk involved with introduction of exotic pestsand the damage they could do to Indian Agriculture-including their adverse effect on the export of agriculturalproducts. There is ,therefore, an urgent need for anaggressive mass education programme through press,electronic media and other publicity channel~. foreducating the farmers, scientists, customs, postalauthorities and all others concerned with theintroduction/ movement of plants and planting materialsabout the need to observe plant quarantine requirementsin the best interest of the country.