G/SPS/GEN/1706   
28 June 2019  
(19-4344) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: Spanish  
 
  
ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKE N BY THE INTERNATION AL REGIONAL ORGANIZA TION  
FOR PLANT AND ANIMAL  HEALTH (OIRSA) RELA TING TO THE  
WTO AGREEMENT ON THE  APPLICATION OF SANI TARY  
AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
REPORT TO THE COMMIT TEE ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASUR ES, 
FEBRUARY - MAY 2019 
The following communication, received on 26 June 2019, is being circulated at the request of OIRSA . 
 
_______________  
 
 
1  TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND DISSEMINATION ACTIVI TIES RELATING TO 
AGRICULTURAL HEALTH AND TRADE  
1.1.  In Costa Rica, a training programme on the prevention of melon and watermelon virus diseases 
was organized , in conjunction  with the State Phytosanitary Service, which was aimed at members 
of the Melon Growers Association, representatives of producer enterprises and technic ians in the 
sector.  
1.2.  As part of the OIRSA Technical Committee meeting held in El Salvador,  a field day on coffee 
plant health was organized, during which information was pr ovided on a coffee -leaf-rust 
investigation programme implemented in El Salvador, and on the soil fertility study conducted in  the 
six coffee -growing mountain ranges in the country.  
1.3.  To support the quarantine system in Nicaragua, two canine units were created at the canine 
school of the National Health, Food Safety and Agrifood Quality Service ( SENASICA ) in Mexico . 
1.4.  The training of a canine  unit for Guatemala is under  way at the canine school of the Ministry of 
Agricultural Development (MIDA) in Panama.  
1.5.  In Panama, a certification course was organized for production officials and technicians on the 
implementation of the Produce Safety Rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) , which 
applies to fresh fruit and vegetables . The course was attended by 31 participants.  
1.6.  An introductory course on food s afety was developed and organized  through OIRSA's virtual 
classroom, which provided training for 2,048 pe ople. 
1.7.  OIRSA has developed and is implementing c ourses on safety auditors in plant and animal 
production systems, the validation of microbiological monitoring in the food industry, and risk-based 
food inspection , in which 1,374 participants  are currently participating . 
1.8.  OIRSA has been ma king updates to  the "Manual of Good Practices on Shrimp Farms" since 
February 2019.  
1.9.  From 11 March to 31 May 2019, a self -managed course on bee health and diagnosis was 
organized through OIRSA's virtual classroom , with the participation of professionals from the public 
and private sectors, from within and outside the region . G/SPS/GEN/1706  
 
- 2 - 
 
  1.10.   Awareness -raising talks on good poultry practices , biosafety,  and the welfare  of broiler 
chickens were attended by Panamanian veterinary doctors and producers at various sessions of the 
National Poultry Commission (COTAN)  held on 21 March and 24 April in Santiago de Veraguas  
in Panama . 
1.11.   OIRSA organized the  second meeting of the Regional Commission for Veterinary Medicines 
and Animal Feed (CORMEVA), which was attended by  heads of the animal medicine and feed 
registries of Central America, as well as representatives of the animal medicine and feed industry, 
with the aim of addressing the main issues affecting the registration of and trade in such products 
in the region .  
1.12.   OIRSA held a  workshop on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in the region , which 
was attended by  representatives from the public and  private sectors, and which allowed for the 
identification of the progress made with national AMR surveillance programmes in Central America.  
1.13.   In Guatemala, a demonstration on the use of the Trazar -Agro platform was given to 
agricultural epidemiologists and  technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food , to 
provide information on  the tool and its potential use in programmes in which they are involved.  
1.14.   Training on the use of a bovine health module was provided for officials from the Guatemalan 
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food and from OIRSA's Programme for the Progressive Control 
of Brucellosis and Tuberculosis, in order to proceed with the validation of the module i n the field and 
its implementation as a tool for the bovine health programme.  
1.15.   Training on the use of the Trazar -Agro platform was provided for plant health technicians from 
the Guatemalan Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food, for the management of an agricultural 
registration module  as a tool for operational planning and epidemiological surveillance . 
1.16.   In Honduras, a presentation on the traceability system was given to shrimp traders who are 
members of  the Association of Small - and Medium -Scale Aquacul ture P roducers of the South 
(APEMASUR ), SUR COMPITE and associations of small -scale producers (groups from Marcovia and 
Valle), and members of the National Association of Aquaculture Producers of Honduras ( ANDAH) . 
1.17.   The database of the Harmonized Bovine Traceability System of Panama was transferred to 
the Trazar -Agro platform. Training was provided  for officials from the Panamanian Ministry of 
Agricultural Development who are engaged in traceability  activities , and fo r veterinary  doctors, 
animal health  epidemiologists , and private users of the system.  
2  SUPPORT FOR THE HARM ONIZATION AND EQUIVA LENCE PROCESS  
2.1.  OIRSA participated in a meeting of the Inter ‑American Group for Coordination on Plant 
Protection (GICSV), at which working groups were created with regard to issues  such as the 
comprehensive management of citrus huanglongbing (HLB ), ePhyto certification, the management 
of locusts and Tuta absoluta , the prevention of banana Fusarium wilt caused by the fungus Fusarium 
oxysporum  f.sp. cubense  (Foc-TR4), and fruit flies . 
2.2.  A Trogoderma granarium  (Gorgojo Kapra) risk assessment was carried out to support the 
establishment of measures to prevent the entry of the pest into the OIRSA region . 
2.3.  A protocol for taking and sending samp les of cocoa beans for the determination of cadmium 
content was developed and dis seminated  to countries in the region . 
2.4.  A protocol for taking and sending samples of rice for the determination of arsenic content was 
developed and dis seminated  to countries in the region . 
2.5.  A risk -based food assessment manual was developed for countries in the region . 
2.6.  The Central American Technical Regulation on Vet erinary Medicines and Similar Products from 
the Central American Customs Union was  revised and updat ed. G/SPS/GEN/1706  
 
- 3 - 
 
  3  PREVENTION, CONTROL AND ERADICATION ACTI VITIES (PROGRAMMES O R 
CAMPAIGNS)  
3.1.  In Panam a, the Ministry of Agricultural Development  (MIDA) is receiving support to implement 
actions for the phytosanitary control of pests that affect the production of Bactris gasipaes , especially 
Curculionidae  (Metamasius hemipterus  and Rhynchophorus palmarum ). 
3.2.  In the Dominican  Republic, OIRSA participated in the Campo Limpio RD  (Clean Countryside in 
the Dominican Republic) programme , with the aim of establishing  mechanisms for  the collection and 
final disposal of empty pesticide and similar product  containers.  
3.3.  In Nicaragua , OIRSA participated in the 15th Agricultural Technology Fair of the National 
Agricultural University (UNA) , at which a stand was set up with healthy citrus plants and a mother 
plant bank for the production of healthy shoots . 
3.4.  OIRSA participated in the  Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation mission carried out  by the  
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) at the Institute for Agricultural and Livestock 
Protection and Health (IPSA), with a view to strengthening the Nicaraguan phytosanitary system 
and enhance national and international trade in the country.  
3.5.  In El Salvador, OIRSA, in conjunction with the Minist ry of Agriculture and Livestock , delivered 
2,000 healthy citrus shoots to Salvadoran nurseries , as part of its efforts to prevent HLB and to 
comprehensively manage citrus fruit pests . 
3.6.  In Costa Rica, OIRSA, in coordination with the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE), the FAO and 
the National Banana Corporation (CORBANA) , conducted a simulation exercise on the eradication , 
containment and management of banana Fusarium  wilt (Foc TR4) outbreaks in the countryside.  
3.7.  In the Dominican Re public, the Ministry of Agriculture received support for the development of 
actions to prevent the entry of tomato moths ( Tuta absoluta ), in response to reports of the presence 
of the pest in Haiti.   
3.8.  OIRSA developed a  general manual on emergency care , whic h included  annexes on 
foot-and-mouth disease, avian influenza, classical  swine fever , natural disasters,  and the Incident 
Command System (SCI),  and annexes containing a list of materials and equipment , and a list of 
reference laboratories in the region.  
3.9.  Communications on the global situation of African swine fever and recommendations were 
developed  and disseminated  to prevent the entry of the disease into the region.  
3.10.   Information material (video and flyers) was developed and made available in English and 
Spanish to countries for the  strengthen ing of  measures to prevent African swine fever in the region.  
3.11.   A regional seminary on African swine fever was held in collaboration with the Ministry of 
Agriculture of Guatemala , the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the San Carlos University of 
Guatemala , and the Professional College of Veterinary Doctors. The seminary was broadcast live for 
Central American countries, Belize and the Dominican Republic.  
3.12.   A mobile p hone application was developed for the creation of t he OIRSA virtual library , which 
included the Spanish edition of a veterinary manual on taking and sending samples, created by the 
Pan American Foot -and-Mouth Disease Cente r (PANAFTOSA)  and the Ministry of Agriculture, 
Livestock and Supply of Brazil (MAPA).  
3.13.   Technical and financial support was provided for the implementation of the second phase of 
the National Bovine Brucellosis Emergency Fund in Panama . 
3.14.   An African swine fever diagnosis kit was acquired to help strengthen the epidemiological 
surveillance of the disease in the veterinary services in El Salvador.  
3.15.   A kit for the diagnosis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was acquired for the Animal 
Health Laboratory of Guatemala to strengthen  the surveillance of the disease.  G/SPS/GEN/1706  
 
- 4 - 
 
  3.16.   In conjunction with the Guatemalan Technical Commission on Bovine Health , an 
epidemiological inspection concerning  a bovine brucellosis health s tatus was carried out  on a farm 
in the country , and a herd sanitatio n plan  was delivered to the Technical  Commission.   
3.17.   To support actions for the epidemiological surveillance of Coleoptera , 1,100 traps for  the small 
hive beetle ( Aethina tumida ) were acquired  for El Salvador (500) and Belize (600) . 
3.18.   Material (cutimeters  and automatic syringes ) was acquired  for the strengthening of an official 
progressive control programme for bovine tuberculosis in  El Salvador.  
3.19.   Laboratory material and  reagents  were provided for the strengthening of antimicrobial 
resistance surveillance i n El Salvador.   
3.20.   Support was provided for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of El Salvador at a meeting 
held with the Governing Board of the Salvadoran Association of Pig Farmers (ASPORC ) to establish 
the steps and process to be carried out for the submission of the application for recognition by the 
OIE as a country free of classical swine fever.  
3.21.   A plan for the implementation of a swine traceability system was developed together with 
members of the Swine  Technical Commission, the industrial sector a nd the Ministry of Agriculture, 
Livestock and Food of Guatemala, with the aim of participating in the efforts to meet the 
requirements for the  application for recognition by the OIE as a country free of classical swine fever.   
3.22.   OIRSA participated in the 57th Central American  Regional Climate Forum , at which  the rainfall 
and temperature  outlook for May to July  2019 and the implications in terms of agricultural health 
risks were analysed.  
3.23.   OIRSA developed and distributed a  regional bulletin on the climate fore cast and its 
implications in terms of animal and plant health and food safety , which included practical prevention 
and management measures.  
3.24.   Production risk maps based on climate forecasts  and pest bioecology were developed for 
banana Sigatoka, the sugarca ne spittlebug , cardamom thrips, and the mango fruit fly.  These models 
have been incorporated into OIRSA's geo -portal which also contains models for a further 12 pests.  
4  STRENGTHENING OF NAT IONAL INSTITUTIONS I N ORDER TO FACILITAT E TRADE  
4.1.  In Honduras , OIRSA and SENASA verified the status of Mediterranean fruit fly -free areas . The 
institutions have been working since 20 02 on a programme for the maintenance of Mediterranean 
fruit fly -free status in the Aguan Valley.   
4.2.  OIRSA supported m ember countries in subscribing  to the bibliographic pest database,  
CAB Abstracts, with the aim of ensuring that the provision of technical and scientific assistance for 
decision -making  related to phytosanitary measures in international trade.  
4.3.  Member countries received support in accessing the University of Georgia's platform for the 
use of the Distance Diagnostics through Digital Imaging System.  
4.4.  Support was provided for the organization  of interagency consultations on  the preliminary draft 
Salvadoran Technical Regulation (RTS) No. 65.05.01.19 on the epidemiological surveillance and 
prevention of  bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and other transmissible spongiform 
encephalopathies (TSEs) , between the animal health authorities of the Ministr y of Agriculture and 
Livestock (MAG) and the Salvadoran Technical Regulation Agency  (OSARTEC).  
4.5.  OIRSA, together with the Federation of Poultry Farmers of Central America and the Caribbean 
(FEDAVICAC) organized a meeting of the Regional Technical Committee on Poultry Health (CTRSA), 
which was attended by technicians from veterinary services and the private sector of Belize,  
Costa  Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras, Nicaragua  and Panam a. 
4.6.  Nicaragua and Panam a received support for the revision  of their applications for international 
recognition as countries free of classical swine fever prior to submission to the OIE.  G/SPS/GEN/1706  
 
- 5 - 
 
  4.7.  Honduras received support for the development of conditions for the administration and use of 
the information to be managed in the traceability  and movement control system . 
5  STRATEGIC ALLIANCES FOR THE PROMOTION OF  HEALTH AND TRADE  
5.1.  In Panama, OIRSA and MIDA signed a cooperation agreement for the production of  Geisha 
coffee in the Ngäbe -Buglé Comarca . 
5.2.  OIRSA coordinated and participated in the Central American Cooperative Congress for the 
Improvement of Crops and Animals (PCCMCA), at which information was provided on the results of 
agricultural research, and the  threat  posed by climate change to crops and animals.   
5.3.  OIRSA held a  meeting for quarantine regulators in Panama , which was  headed by Australia and 
which brought together 30 countries from South -East Asia , Oceania  and member countries from the 
OIRSA region.  
5.4.  OIRSA updated a regional project on aquatic animal health , with the incorporation of all OIRSA 
member countries, and the translation into English of the project to be submitted to the Norwegian 
community.  
5.5.  In the Dominican Republic,  a working session  was h eld with teams fr om the Ministry (Registry  
of Agricultural Production Units (RUPA) and Plant Health) to plan the provision of support to the 
Dominican Republic regarding the country agreement and , specifically, the project formerly known 
as RUPA , which has  now been named the Geo -referenced Registry of Farms and Agricultural 
Producers (RGPPA).  
__________