The PPRSD was established in 1965 by an Act of Parliament: Prevention and Control of Pests and Diseases OF Plants Act, 307 now replaced by “Plants and Fertilizer Act, 2010 (Act 803). The PPRSD is the National Institution with the mandate and capacity to organize, regulate, implement and coordinate the plant protection services needed for the country in support of sustainable growth and development of Agriculture. The national plant protection policy is Integrated Pest Management, IPM (1992).
Vision
To render efficient, environmentally safe and economically sustainable plant protection and regulatory services that will be meeting the requirements of the clientele and thus contributing to increased food and raw material production.
Mission
To provide services in order to safeguard quality and plants of crop from losses by pests and diseases.
Goal
To contribute to sustainable reduction of crop losses caused by pests and diseases, currently estimated at 30-50%, to about 10-15%, with substantially reduced use of hazardous chemicals.
The Directorate is structured into four Divisions:
- Crop Pests and Disease Management
- Seed Inspection and Certification
- Pesticides and Fertilizer Regulatory
- Plant Quarantine
The Directorate offers Public Services to: Extensionists, Farmers, Importers/Exporters of Agricultural goods, Pesticide Dealers and Applicators, Seed Producers and Dealers, Fertilizer Dealers, Consuming Public and coordinates compliance with obligations in Multilateral Plant Protection Agreements.
Crop Pests Disease Management Division
The Division derives its mandate from Part I of the “Plants and Fertilizer Act” Act 803 ( 2010)
The Crop Pests & Disease ManagementDivision develops Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), guidelines for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of food crops.
The division carries out training and provides comprehensive diagnostic and identification services of plant pests and diseases for stakeholders, monitors the pest situation in the country, ensures effective control of plant pests, manages calamity pest outbreaks (e.g. armyworms, grasshoppers etc), and carries out classical bio-control measures (mass rearing and release of bio-agents), and serves as secretariat for National Fruit Fly Management Committee and National IPM programme.
Services provided:
- Extension (GO and NGOs): Training of Trainers in IPM, technical backstopping on crop pests and disease identification and integrated control strategies.
- Farmers: Technical backstopping on pests and disease identification (diagnosis) and integrated control strategies, support in Global GAP certification (training, pre- audit)
- Exporters of agricultural produce: Technical backstopping on identification of crop pests, training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and carries out diagnostic services.
- IGOs: Pests and Disease situation statistics
Ghana Seed Inspection and Certification Division (GSID)
(Part II of Plants and Fertiliser Act, 2010) (Act 803)
The Division supports the production of quality seeds and planting materials. This is achieved through; field inspection, training of major stakeholders, laboratory analysis on seed samples, monitoring quality of seed and seed certification.
Services provided
- Seed growers:
- Registration of Seed Growers
- Monitoring of seed and planting material production of crop species
- Certification of Foundation and Certified Seeds and also Primary and Secondary planting materials.
- Training of major stakeholders (Seed Inspectors, Registered Seed Growers, Seed Dealers, Extension Staff of MOFA and NGO’s etc)
- Facilitation of promotional activities in the seed industry.
- Seed dealers:
- Registration of Seed Dealers
- Monitoring of Seed Dealers’ outlets
- Seed importers and exporters
- Registration of importers
- Monitoring of importers’ outlets
- Registration of exporters
- Monitoring of exporters’ outlets
- Farmers
- Education and awareness creation on the benefits of utilization of certified seed/planting materials
Pesticide and Fertilizer Regulatory Division
The Division derives its mandate from the following Acts: Part III of Plants and Fertilizer Act 803 (2010) and Part II of Environmental Protection Agency Act 490 (1994)
The Division supervises and trains Regulatory Inspectors, publishes information materials, registers and trains pesticides and fertilizer dealers and applicators, keeps records as well as statistics of pesticides and fertilizers and manages pesticide and fertilizer stocks in the country. It supervises bio-efficacy trials carried out by research.
Services provided
- Pesticide and Fertilizer dealers: Registration, inspection, training on pesticides and fertilizer management, facilitation of removal of obsolete and unwanted chemicals.
- Pesticide and Fertilizer Applicators: Registration, inspection, training on Pesticide and Fertilizer Management.
- Extension: training and technical backstopping on pesticides and fertilizer management. • Exporters: Training of trainers in pesticide and fertilizer management for export certification.
- Importers: Sample, inspect, analyze and test fertilizers distributed in the country and prepare appropriate manuals and reports of these.
- IGOs : Provides pesticides and fertilizer consumption statistics.
Plant Quarantine Division
The mandate of the division is found in “Part I of Plants and Fertilizer Act.” 2010 (Act 803)
The Division works closely with the customs authorities (CEPS) at all the official entry points. It supervises and trains Phytosanitory Inspectors, develops and publishes information material, keeps records of plant imports and exports, the importers and exporters, as well as the pests and diseases of quarantine importance. It issues phytosanitary certificates and import permits. It also operates the SPS Enquiry Point. The Division also carries out inspection on marketing quality standards on fresh fruits and vegetables for export. Implementation of relevant International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) are implemented by the Division.
Services provided
- Exporters of agricultural produce: Inspection, certification (Phytosanitary and marketing quality compliance), treatment (confiscation and destruction), information on export requirements and training on export requirements.
- Importers of agricultural produce: Inspection, certification (import permits), release, (confiscation and destruction, return to country of origin), information on import requirements; post-entry quarantine, training on import requirements.
- Provides information on IPPC and WTO on SPS Agreements through the National Enquiry Point (NEP)
For further information contact;
The Director
Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate
P. O.Box M 37
Pokuase-Accra
Tel: +233 (0) 303977526
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Working Hour: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday