Asia: phytosanitary training
Developing countries are generally at a disadvantage when it comes to meeting international phytosanitary requirements for trade in agricultural commodities imposed by importing nations (usually developed countries). However, many aid donors recognise their obligation to ensure all nations have equal access to export markets.
And that is where an NZAID project, Phytosanitary Capacity Building in the Mekong Region, fitted in during 2006–2009. The project involved Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam – the ‘CLMV’ countries – and was to help facilitate such trade. It aimed to establish pest and disease collections and provide plant protection and quarantine staff with skills to collect, identify and curate specimens, and to prepare authenticated pest lists.
Auckland Landcare Research scientists Trevor Crosby (Principal Entomologist) and Eric McKenzie (Principal Pathologist) visited each country at least seven times over the 3-year period to help establish collections, run workshops on crop surveillance, and provide ongoing mentoring in field surveillance and identification of specimens. As well, two participants from each country spent 3 weeks with the Landcare Research collections in Auckland learning curation requirements for collections. In addition 3-week diagnostic clinics were held at Landcare Research, Auckland, for nine entomologists and nine pathologists from these countries.
The CLMV countries fully supported the project, in part due to awareness-raising of phytosanitary issues through annual meetings with senior government officials and industry leaders. In Myanmar, this New Zealand project was the first assistance and training received since 1988. In Lao PDR, we were the first to present a training course at their Plant Protection centre.
The four countries have established reference collections, but vagaries of weather dealt cruel blows to both the Lao PDR and Myanmar collections. In Vientiane (Lao PDR) a storm blew the roof off the plant protection building, while rain destroyed the newly established plant diseases collection and also some of the equipment supplied by the project; however, the insect collection survived after staff followed disaster recovery guidelines (the laboratories have since been restored). In Yangon (Myanmar), serious drainage problems followed earthworks next to the plant protection centre – torrential rain and water build-up led to flooding of the newly established collection room, and Cyclone Nargis damaged buildings so that the replacement facility had to be deferred.
Existing equipment, facilities, and staff knowledge was often basic and out-of-date. However, staff in these countries were hungry for knowledge and were very receptive to advice from Landcare Research scientists.
Trevor Crosby is now involved in a project in Brunei to rehabilitate the Department of Agriculture insect collection and train entomology staff in collection management and identification. As with the aims of the NZAID project, Brunei wants to ensure that it has authenticated pest lists that meet international standards.