المملكة: Urgent: A two-year quarantine and a ban on genetically modified… new requirements for the import of coffee seedlings

Subtract The National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases “Weqaa”, an integrated project to establish precise conditions and controls for the import and circulation of Local coffee crops and ecosystems from any potential biohazards.

The center explained that these measures aim to prevent the entry of dangerous plant pests into the country, and regulate the movement of seedlings’ circulation internally to ensure effective tracking and monitoring, which limits random practices that may harm this vital agricultural sector that benefits thousands of farmers.

The proposed controls impose a series of strict measures starting from the country of origin, as the project obliges importers. By submitting a separate application for each exporting country, attaching detailed documents including the purchase invoice and the scientific name of the plants.

The project also categorically prohibited the import of any seedlings taken from genetically modified mothers, giving official authorities the right to stop any import permit immediately upon the emergence of bacterial threats in the export country.

And to ensure maximum standards Reliability: The project stipulated that each shipment be accompanied by a certificate of origin and a phytosanitary certificate issued by official authorities, and that the exporting nursery be accredited by the competent authorities in its country.

The requirements include the necessity of importing seedlings from declared areas completely free of the deadly “Xylella fastidiosa” bacteria, along with submitting the results of a laboratory test confirming that they are free of pathogens 15 days before shipment.

When shipments arrive at Saudi ports, a second stage of scrutiny begins, no less stringent, where all documents are examined. And matching them with the shipment, before drawing samples to conduct accurate laboratory tests to detect a wide list of pests, including olive deterioration bacteria, multiple types of nematodes, and serious fungal and insect diseases.

The most prominent feature of these procedures is the imposition of an unprecedented monitoring period extending for two full years after the entry of healthy seedlings, where they are first transferred to Certified stone nurseries for a period of six months, then they remain under field supervision at the permanent cultivation site for another year and a half, with the prohibition of taking any propagation materials during this period to ensure that no latent diseases appear.

The controls were not limited to imported seedlings, but rather extended to include the organization of production and monitoring within the Kingdom. The project obligated local production nurseries to obtain official accreditation, and to use pure mother fields registered with “Wiqa” as the sole source of propagation materials, while prohibiting the production of any varieties that are not officially approved.

Local nurseries are subject to three field and laboratory inspection visits by “Wiqa” inspectors, starting with examining the seeds before planting, through examining the seedlings in their stages of growth. The first, ending with the final examination before preparing them for sale and trading, with random samples being taken for laboratory examination.

To complete the control loop, the project stipulated that all seedlings traded within the Kingdom must carry an official transfer certificate issued by the center, with inspectors making periodic visits to markets and farms to monitor the health status of the plants, and taking immediate measures to seize and destroy any infected seedlings or of unknown origin, which It provides direct protection to farmers and ensures the arrival of a safe, high-quality product to Saudi fields.