HALF YEAR REPORT ON PLANT PROTECTION

1. HALF YEAR REPORT ON PLANT PROTECTION Senior Management Meeting Ministry Headquarters July 20, 2009

2. VISION • “To be viewed and respected as the ultimate national authority in the provision of exemplary plant protection services for Antigua and Barbuda”

3. SUMMARY: WORK PLAN 2009 • Routine plant protection activities • environmental legislation & monitoring [CITES, Cartagena Protocol, etc.] • public awareness • emergency management • pest risk analysis • plant quarantine & inspection • pest management & control [surveys, surveillance, etc for high risk areas]

4. SUMMARY: WORK PLAN 2009 cont’d • Upgrade of Plant Protection Unit to Plant Protection Division • Upgrade of institutional arrangements and human resource • Construction of purpose-built Plant Protection headquarters facility • Passage and implementation of Plant Protection Act

5. ACHIEVEMENTS: Jan – Jun 2009 • Some media presence on various Plant Protection matters organised by Communications Coordinator • Response to and assessment of domestic pest reports

6. ACHIEVEMENTS: Jan – Jun 2009 cont’d. • Staff Participation in Training Workshops hosted by Training Division • Customer Care (Feb 12.; 3 persons) • Government Filing System (Mar. 3-4; 1 person) • Occupational Health & Safety (Mar. 5 & 11)

7. ACHIEVEMENTS: Jan – Jun 2009 cont’d. • RED PALM MITE SURVEY (in conjunction with CABI) – May 2009 • Detected in all 6 parishes on Antigua • Pest found in moderate to high levels only on coconut, Christmas & Kentia palms and NOT on Musa spp. and ornamentals (as is typical in neighbouringcountries that are infested) • Moderate levels of natural enemies (incl. ladybird beetles, parasitic wasps) found among mites on infested plants

8. ACHIEVEMENTS: Jan – Jun 2009 cont’d. • Cotton Protection Programme continued • Monitoring of Cotton Fields (2008-2009 crop) • ADC (13 acres) – good production; few pest problems • Central Cotton Station (10 acres) – poor production due to high levels of Pink Boll Worm damage & infestation by Alabama • Farrell (1 acre in Pares) – was not closely monitored by PP during production period • Wild Cotton Destruction programme • > 2000 trees destroyed so far (Gambles, Oil Refinery, Cassada Gardens, Ottos, Skerritts Pasture, Whenner Road, Grays Farm, Renfrew); destruction about 75% complete; about 25% of plants 1 – 2 ft high & remainder 3-5 ft. high; backhoe required for removal of large trees in Grays Farm & Whenner Rd areas • Areas left to be completed incl. Mill Reef (to be destroyed by owners under PP supervision), Freemans Village & Long Bay

9. ACHIEVEMENTS: Jan – Jun 2009 cont’d. • Annual Mango Seed Weevil Survey • About 10% complete, mainly in the south of the island • Main problems: HR & transport • No MSW found to date

10. ACHIEVEMENTS: Jan – Jun 2009 cont’d. • Giant African Snail management activities continued and snail has not spread beyond the area in which it was first discovered 18 months ago • Poster has been prepared in conjunction with Environment Division • Flyer for distribution in newspapers has been designed and is awaiting printing

11. ACHIEVEMENTS: Jan – Jun 2009 cont’d.

12. ACHIEVEMENTS: Jan – Jun 2009 cont’d. • Figure 2. Giant African Land Snail poster prepared in conjunction with the Environment Division

13. ACHIEVEMENTS: Jan – Jun 2009 cont’d. • Discussions continue with the Establishment Division on the Upgrade of Plant Protection from a Unit to a Division • RIEs for first phase of Plant Protection HQ Building construction being processed

14. CHALLENGES • No access to funds budgeted for public awareness which prevented publication of flyers for distribution in newspapers • Lack of vehicles dedicated to Plant Protection activities continue to pose a problem in the execution of the majority of planned field and other activities • Recent reduction in fuel per vehicle by the Transport Board will pose a major threat to the execution of many of the PP’s field-based activities

15. CHALLENGES cont’d. • Human resources and finances planned &/or budgeted for the general upgrade of Plant Protection and implementation of the draft Plant Protection Act currently with the AG’s Chambers have been cut • Problems anticipated for execution of new Plant Protection Act when passed • A Staff Complement of 50 persons required for adequate execution of PP activities; current staff complement – 4 permanent staff members + 7 seconded/trainee staff members

16. CHALLENGES cont’d.Fig. 3 Proposed Org. Chart for Plant Protection Division

17. WORK PLAN: Jul – Dec 2009 • All activities for first half of the year will continue as far as the recently diminished budget and available human and other resources will allow. • Meeting planned for 21/07/09 with AG’s Chambers to finalise draft PP Act for presentation to Parliament in August sitting • Plant Protection webpage on Ministry’s website to be completed

18. STAFF ATTENDANCE • This has been generally satisfactory; the actual data still has to be processed to determine members with exemplary attendance records

19. CONCLUSION • It is hoped that efforts to upgrade Plant Protection (legislation; human, financial & other resources, purpose-built headquarters building) will gain some priority such that the vision can be achieved in the provision of required services

20. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!