Covid, Quarantine and Organics

By Lionel Rajapakse
lrajapakse@hotmail.com

Following the onset of Covid-19, people nave realised the importance of quarantine as it helps to prevent or at least to slow down the spread of this deadly human disease, from one country to another, and also within the communities. Human quarantine is only one aspect of the concept of quarantine. Plant quarantine and animal quarantine laws are followed by almost all the countries around the world, for centuries, to prevent the entry and spread of exotic pests and diseases. In Sri Lanka, responsibility of plant quarantine lies with the Department of Agriculture. Sri Lanka fortunately strengthened its quarantine system with the establishment of a well-equipped quarantine facility, in Katunayake, with the help of the Japanese government, in the early 1990s, under the banner of the National Plant Quarantine Service.

With the Indian ocean, acting as a barrier for exotic pests including insects, diseases and weeds, Sri Lanka is geographically situated at a very fortunate position to implement a strong quarantine programme. The size of this country, with only few entry points for sea and air travel, makes it easier to prevent the entry of exotic pests with an effective quarantine service. However, by looking at the introduction of several exotic pests into the country, during the last few decades, it is doubtful whether Sri Lanka has made the best use of the aforesaid advantages. These invasive exotic pests include some new species of mealy bugs (piti makuna) and weeds like Giant mimosa (Yoda nidikumba). Also, several exotic ornamental plants can be seen around the country, which were not visible a few decades back. Are they legal imports, gone through the proper quarantine channels? An active plant quarantine service, with active inspection staff, armed with legal powers, at all the airports and seaports, is a must for Sri Lanka, as introduction of any exotic agricultural pests including insects, diseases and weeds into the country, will benefit Sri Lanka’s agriculture-based economy.

Australia and New Zealand have a similar geographic advantage, like Sri Lanka. They have quarantine centres to work with the Customs to protect their agriculture and unique environments. These two countries are armed with a world class quarantine inspection services at entry points. Thanks to these exemplary quarantine (biosecurity) services, both countries are able to keep many destructive exotic pests away and maintain their image, and their products fetch high prices in the world market.

With the sudden introduction of the ban of importation of chemical fertilisers and chemical pesticides, the word “organic agriculture” has become widely known in Sri Lanka. While everyone wholeheartedly agrees on the need to promote organic agriculture, the scientific community has quested the abrupt manner in which inorganic fertiliser was banned without proper consultation, advance planning, stage by stage implementation and realistic timeframes. It is sad to see the protests by the farming community in most fertile areas in the country, as they are the worst affected party by this sudden decision. However, government sticks to its decision.

One of the major challenges is to find the alternative methods to supply the necessary crop nutrients, usually provided through the imported chemical fertilisers to date. Initially, we heard there was a plan for the importation of compost to fill the vacuum created by the ban of chemical fertiliser. Then we heard, through the news, that the Director General of Agriculture was not going to allow this import as it violates the country’s quarantine laws. If that news was true, it was a commendable decision taken to protect the agriculture as well as the environment of this country. It was reported there were two container loads of compost already imported to Sri Lanka from India. Not sure what happened to them. Hope they are still sitting on the wharf or exported out of the country.

Latest news is the Cabinet approval for the importation of “sterilised solid organic fertiliser” to meet a part of the major nutrient requirements for the paddy cultivation in Maha season 2021/2022. Following this decision, State Ministry of Production, Supply and Regulation of Organic and Natural Fertiliser has called applications for pre-qualification from eligible and qualified applicants for importation of “sterilized solid organic fertilisers” (in addition to the liquid organic fertilisers and natural minerals – potassium chloride).

Ministry has quoted Sri Lanka Standard 1704:2021 developed by the Sri Lanka Standards Institute for specifications for the “sterilised solid organic fertiliser”. According to this standard, “sterilised solid organic fertiliser” is defined as follows.

“Any product in solid form, of plant (except by- products from petroleum industries) or animal origin that has undergone substantial decomposition that can supply total nutrients to plants comprising Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) at a minimum of eight percent (8%). This shall not contain microorganisms, but shall contain naturally occurring minerals with no added chemical or inorganic fertiliser material in the finished product to affect the nutrient content”.

Further, it defines “organism” as follows:

“Organism included any active, infective, or dormant stage of life of an entity characterised as living, including plants, bacteria, algae, fungi, phytoplasma, mycoplasma, mycoplasma-like entities, protozoa, vertebrate and invertebrate animals, as well as entities such as viruses, viroids, plasmids, phages or any living entity, related thereto, whether natural, genetically modified, living modified, or otherwise”

From a quarantine point of view, if Sri Lanka can truly import this type of dead organic fertiliser, without any of the above mentioned organisms from overseas, it poses only a minimum or negligible risk of introducing exotic pests including insects, diseases and weeds. In that case, it will be a win – win situation for both farmers and the government. The Million Rupee question is whether this will happen as planned and expected?

To make sure the importing sterilised solid organic fertilisers are meeting the standards, set in the mentioned Sri Lanka standards (and other additional nutrient requirements set by the Ministry), government expects to carry out pre-shipment inspections and sampling by accredited independent surveyors in the country of origin who will be appointed by the Sri Lanka Standard Institutes upon the request of the National Fertiliser Secretariat (NFS). The independent surveyor is required to draw 10 representative samples from each consignment before shipment and send one sample each to the following agencies:

1). Atomic Energy Authority to check for chemical adulterations, radio active substances, 2). National Plant Quarantine Service to ensure zero living organisms included, 3). Sri Lanka Standard Institutes for nutrient analysis, 4). Independent accredited laboratory selected by the NFS (purpose not specified), 5). National Fertiliser Secretariat for reference purposes, 6). Animal production and Health (propose not specified).

Two samples to be provided to the supplier.

One sample to be retained by the independent surveyor for future reference.

Independent surveyor to arrange the remaining sample to be analysed by an accredited lab in the exporting country and authorise to send the analysis report direct from the laboratory to the National Fertiliser Secretariat in Sri Lanka.

This pre-shipment sampling and analysis scheme sounds like a very well thought out plan, formulated by a committee who understood the risk of landing organic fertilisers without meeting the required standards on Sri Lankan soil. If a single consignment of organic fertiliser, contaminated with exotic organisms, land on our soil and gets released, it may be another catastrophe, worse than the recent X-Press Pearl disaster.

When looking at the above-mentioned list of sample receiving agencies, the most important responsibility lies on the National Plant Quarantine Service of Sri Lanka. They have to test the sample and make sure it is free from any of the above-mentioned living organisms. Hope the National Plant Quarantine Service in Sri Lanka has the expertise and necessary facilities for this challenging task.

Is the National Plant Quarantine Service going to rely only on the test results of the sample provided by the third-party foreign surveyor when making decisions to release these consignments? Hope not. Usually the quarantine services in importing countries do not totally rely on the samples or certificates provided by a third party in the exporting country. They sample the imported commodities using their own quarantine staff at the border (sea port or airport) and examine/analyse (test) those samples by themselves or by the laboratories accredited by them. Hope the National Plant Quarantine Service in Sri Lanka already have their own plans to inspect the future imports of “sterilised solid organic fertiliser” consignments at the landing ports and draw their own samples and examine/test them by themselves. It is their responsibility to be one hundred percent sure these imported organic fertilisers are free from any exotic organism before those consignments are released from the border and end up in the farmers fields. Once applied to the soil, it is impossible to correct the mistakes.