WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/GEN/1200 
12 October 2012 
 (12-5536) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original: Spanish 
  
 
ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY THE INTERNATIONAL REGIONAL 
ORGANIZATION FOR PLANT AND ANIMAL HEALTH (OIRSA) 
RELATING TO THE WTO AGREEMENT ON THE 
APPLICATION OF SANITARY AND 
PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
 
Report to the 55
th Meeting of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 
18 and 19 October 2012 
  
 The following communication, received on 11 October 2012, is being circulated at the request 
of OIRSA. 
 
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 1. Training, technical assistance and disseminatio n activities relating to agricultural health 
and trade 
1. Two hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) training workshops and their 
prerequisite programmes were held in the Domi nican Republic in coordination with the Agrifood 
Safety Department (DIA) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MA) and the Dominican Exporters 
Association (ADOEXPO), within the framework  of the Inter-American Development Bank 
(IDB)-Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF)/ADOEXPO Project. 
2. In El Salvador, the first discussion on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection 
procedures (preparation prior to the inspection visit) for representatives of companies that 
export to the United States was held in coor dination with the El Salvador Exporters' 
Corporation (COEXPORT), within the framework of the AgroCAFTA Programme.  A similar event 
was held for the staff of the Division responsible for the safety of food of animal origin (DIPOA) in 
the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock's Directorate-General of Livestock. 
3. In El Salvador, in coordination with DIPOA,  an audit of the company Calvo Conservas 
El Salvador S.A. de C.V. was conducted and traini ng on European Union legislation for fish products 
was provided. 
4. The OIRSA-Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA)-United States Department 
of Agriculture (USDA) Eighth Hemispheric Congress on Fruit Flies was held in Panama, with 200 scientists and technicians from 25 American countries in attendance. 
5. In Honduras, a regional workshop was held to de fine strategies for pest management in 
palm trees.  Moreover, a radio spot on the palm weevil ( Rhynchophorus palmarum ) - red ring 
(Bursaphelenchus cocophilus ) complex was broadcast and a field booklet and leaflet on palm bud rot 
were produced. G/SPS/GEN/1200 
Page 2  
 
  6. In Guatemala, a training workshop was held  on sanitary import requirements and related 
administrative formalities in the international market. 
7. Posters and leaflets were produced and distri buted in Guatemala to provide producers with 
information on good practices in the use of veterinary drugs. 
8. In Nicaragua, a pre-assessment of (aflatoxin)  contamination in p eanuts was conducted, 
according to European Union requirements, in coor dination with the Directorates of Agrifood Safety 
(DIA) and Plant Health (DSV) through th e Department of Farm Inspections and 
Traceability/Directorate-General of Agricultural Protection and Health (DGPSA)/Ministry of 
Agriculture, Livestock and Forestry (MAGFOR), in  preparation for an inspection visit by the 
authorities of the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission's Directorate-General for 
Health and Consumer s (FVO/DG-SANCO). 
9. In Nicaragua, support was provided to the DIA/ DGPSA/MAGFOR authorities with a view to 
updating sanitary inspection procedures in dairy est ablishments, as well as the procedures for taking 
samples of dairy products, for refusing non-comply ing products and for pre-operational inspections. 
10. In Nicaragua, a regional training workshop on the Bactericera cockerelli  - Zebra chip 
complex was conducted, with support from  the national phytosanitary authorities. 
11. In Nicaragua, MAGFOR's development of a pr ocedure manual and phytosanitary surveillance 
database was supported. 
12. Under the Food and Agriculture Organiza tion (FAO)-OIRSA technical cooperation 
project TCP/RLA 3311, the following documents were produced:  the procedure manual for collecting, sending and processing samples, which was prepared and distributed amongst 
phytosanitary inspectors from the project's recipient countries, and the population trends of 
Diaphorina citri  protocol.  Extension materials on Hua nglongbing (HLB) were also developed for 
distribution amongst producers, nurser y owners and rural communities. 
13. The regional apicultural safety ongoing training workshop was held in Mexico for technicians 
from the public sector and apicultural producers, in coordination with the National Institute for 
Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research  (INIFAP) through the South-Eastern Regional 
Research Centre of INIFAP (CIRSE-INIFAP). 
14. The international course for citrus quarantine pest training and licensing of phytosanitary 
professionals was held in Mexico, with support fro m Mexico's National Agri-food Health, Safety and 
Quality Service (SENASICA) of the Ministry of  Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, 
Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), the FAO-OIRSA technical cooperation project TCP/RLA 3311, 
the Belize Citrus Growers Association (CGA) and OIRSA. 
15. In Mexico, the apicultural safety ongoing tr aining workshop was organized with support 
from INIFAP.  This workshop provided training on new technologies for extracting and processing honey, quality controls, and applying good ag ricultural practices (GAP), good manufacturing 
practices (GMP), sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOP) and HACCP in small, medium and 
large agricultural establishments. 
16. Six health education and communication campai gns and poultry vaccina tions were conducted 
in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. 
17. Training events on poultry management and hea lth were held in El Salvador and Nicaragua 
for small-scale producers.  G/SPS/GEN/1200 
 Page 3 
 
 
  18. The laboratory techniques for diagnosing classical swine fever were validated in Belize, 
Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. 
19. Workshops to design and organize the HLB and HLB vector control campaign at regional 
level took place in Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica, with support from OIRSA, FAO, SENASICA, the USDA and the phytosanitary authorities of the respective countries. 
20. In Belize, the "From the Farm to the Table" regional training workshop for food safety 
instructors was organized in coordination with th e International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), FAO 
and the Food Safety Directorate of the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA). 
21. The technical bulletin NOTI-GRANOS is being issued in electronic format as a tool for 
raising awareness of different technical phytosanitary aspects of staple grains. 
22. Five hundred handbooks on pig feeding, 500 handbooks on the building of pig-farming 
facilities, 500 handbooks on biosecurity measures, 500 manuals on backyard pig breeding, and 500 manuals on Taenia and cysticercosis were produced and distributed. 
2. Support for the harmonization and equivalence process 
23. OIRSA has submitted a cattle traceability standard to the authorities and production sector 
concerned in Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. 
24. In its capacity as a Regional Plant Protec tion Organization (RPPO), OIRSA attended 
the 24
th Technical Consultation among Regional Plant Protection Organizations, held in Fiji. 
25. OIRSA and the Ad Hoc Regional Veteri nary Drugs Group produced a handbook on good 
practices in the use of veterinary drugs. 
26. OIRSA supported the process of developing th e animal health requirements for exporting 
slaughter and feeder cattle from Central America to Mexico, which are being reviewed by the 
Mexican health authorities. 
27. OIRSA has proposed a "regional protocol" fo r moving animals in fairs, exhibitions 
and competitions. 
28. The 11th meeting of OIRSA's Regional Technical Group for the revision of International 
Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM), held  in El Salvador, reviewed and commented on 
draft ISPMs. 
29. In Costa Rica, support was provided for region al participation in the Latin American 
workshop for the revision of draft ISPMs. 
30. In Panama, OIRSA, working jointly with the authorities in the Ministry of Agricultural 
Development (MIDA) and producers, prepared a dr aft law on agricultural traceability, which was put 
before the Panamanian National Assembly. 
3. Support for regionalization (establishment of  pest-/disease-free and low-prevalence 
areas, development of protocols for their recognition) 
31. In Nicaragua, technical and financial support is still being provided for the programme 
to maintain the area north of Lake Xolotlán as an area free from the Mediterranean fruit fly 
(Ceratitis capitata ). G/SPS/GEN/1200 
Page 4  
 
  32. In Nicaragua, technical and financial assist ance is still being provided for the citrus 
leprosis-free area programme, the citrus HLB cont rol programme and the programme to maintain 
Nicaragua's status as a country free from the pink bollworm. 
33. In Panama, OIRSA supported the national anim al health authorities and producers in 
declaring the Azuero peninsula an area free from bovine brucellosis. 
4. Prevention, control and eradication ac tivities (programmes or campaigns) 
34. The regional emergency programme for the cont rol of classical swine fever in Guatemala, 
aimed at applying control and prevention meas ures in neighbouring countries, is still being 
implemented. 
35. With support from the European Union, the study on "brucellosis and tuberculosis screening 
of herds in Belize" is being conducted in Belize a nd had tested 15,261 head of cattle for tuberculosis 
and 12,380 head for brucellosis as at 14 September 2012.  The study is aimed at supporting the export 
of live slaughter and feeder cattle from Belize to Mexico. 
36. In Guatemala, a regional simulation was undertak en for the main exotic diseases of animals 
and emergency systems and plans, especially for avian diseases. 
37. In order to strengthen epidemiological surve illance of highly pathogenic avian influenza 
(H7N3), OIRSA contributed to the review and upda ting of national emergency plans and channelled 
official information from the Mexican hea lth authorities on the reported outbreak in 
the state of Jalisco. 
38. OIRSA is implementing the project to  determine the presence or absence 
of bovine brucellosis and tuberculosis and cap rine arthritis/encephalitis in El Salvador. 
39. A presentation on the organization of phytosanitary campaigns and programmes concerning 
cucurbits was given in Panama in support of  the Plant Health Association of Azuero. 
40. In Costa Rica, technical support was provided to design the campaign for the prevention and 
control of the pink hibiscus mealy bug ( Maconellicoccus hirsutus  (Green)) as well as the nationwide 
campaign for the control of the stable fly ( Stomoxys calcitrans ). 
41. In Nicaragua, technical and financial support is still being provided for the surveillance 
programme to prevent the entry of tomato leaf miner ( Tuta absoluta ). 
5. Strengthening of national institutions in order to facilitate trade 
42. With support from the WTO Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), 
Project STDF/284 aimed at strengthening the Nati onal SPS Committee (CNMSF) of Honduras is still 
ongoing.  A document entitled "Reform project for the incorporation of sanitary and phytosanitary 
measures (SPS) in undergraduate university curricula  in Honduras" was prepared over recent months.  
Moreover, the National Committee's website ( http://www.cnmsfhn.com ) was officially launched and 
the seminar on trade dispute settlement and the sp ecialized seminar on animal health were given. 
43. A programme on the eligibility of poultry products on international markets and the 
development of veterinary accreditation is s till being implemented at the regional level. 
44. In Honduras, with support from the Spanish National Association of Fish and Seafood 
Canning Manufactures and Technical Centre for the Preservation of Fish and Aquaculture  G/SPS/GEN/1200 
 Page 5 
 
 
  Products (ANFACO-CECOPESCA), the technical st aff of the National Laboratory for Residue 
Analysis (LANAR) was given advice and training in  the procedure for validating methods for the 
analysis of heavy metals, bisulfite and veterinary  drug residues, so as to ensure compliance with 
Regulation (EC) No. 882/2004 relating to th e placing of aquaculture products on the 
European market. 
45. The national assessment and strategic pla nning workshop for national organic production 
control systems was held in Nicaragua, in coor dination with the Inter-American Commission for 
Organic Agriculture (ICOA)/Inter-A merican Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) and the 
DGPSA/MAGFOR Directorate of Plant Health and Seeds. 
6. Strategic alliances for the promotion of health and trade 
46. In El Salvador, OIRSA signed a cooperation ag reement with Alberto Masferrer University 
with a view to developing technical cooperation in the areas of animal health communication, 
information, training, consultancy and technical services. 
47. At the invitation of the IICA, OIRSA took part in the meeting of the International 
Advisory Group, discussing the establishment, under project STDF/PG/108, of a virtual school on 
food inspection in Central America and the Dominican Republic. 
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 In order to comment on this report or obtain additional information, please contact :  Edwin Aragón, 
e-mail:  earagon@oirsa.org 
 
For more information on food safety, please cont act:  Oscar García, e-mail:  ogarcia@oirsa.org 
 For any queries on animal health activiti es, please contact:  Abelardo de Gracia, 
e-mail:  adegracia@oirsapanama.org.pa 
 
For further information on plant health, please contact:  Jimmy Ruiz, e-mail:  jruiz@oirsa.org  We invite you to visit our website:  http://www.oirsa.org  
 
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