. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/784 
21 June 2007 
 
 (07-2629) 
Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
 
 
 
CLEAN STOCK PROGRAM FOR DRACAENA SPP INTENDED FOR EXPORT TO 
THE UNITED STATES MARKET 
 
Communication from Costa Rica  
 
  The following communication, received on 19 June 2007, is being distributed at the request of the delegation of Costa Rica.  
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 1. The cultivation of ornamental plants in Cost a Rica generates approximately $30 million per 
year in exports to the United States market, which accounts for 56 per cent of the ornamental plant 
industry's total exports.  Over the past three year s, the production of this vegetative material has 
increased by 10 per cent, a trend which is expected to continue. 
2. However, over the past ten years, access to the United States market for ornamental plants 
exceeding 18 inches (45 cm.) in size from Cost a Rica has been rendered difficult for two specific 
reasons:  (i) United States phytosanitary regulations rest ricting the entry of ornamental plants;  (ii) the 
high rate of pest interception in exports of Draca ena propagative material fro m Costa Rica at the ports 
of entry into the United States. 
3. In an attempt to resolve this problem, the Government of Costa Rica, with the support of the 
United States and in cooperation with the domestic  export sector, implemented a pilot programme for 
the inspection and certification of Dracaena spp. orna mental plants exported to the United States, 
known as the Clean Stock Program. 
4. In order to help with the implementation of th is programme, a research project was developed 
with a view to studying the propagative material a nd the different environmen tal agents that impact 
the proliferation of pests.  The project was la unched in 2005 with the chief objective of developing 
ways of minimizing the phytosanitary risk of Dracaenas for export by changing a number of practices in the productive chain to make them entirely safe from the phytosanitary point of view.  At the same 
time, the project seeks to generate technical informa tion in support of the amendment of United States 
legislation on Dracaenas measuring more than 18 inches. 
5. The project's activities can be divided into three components:  (i) research:  the objective is to 
identify the main pests associated  with Dracaenas that account for the interceptions and to link them 
to the environmental and ecological conditions in orde r ultimately to come up with an integrated pest 
management system that will contribute to risk miti gation;  (ii) traceability and inspection:  the main 
objective here is to come up with phytosanitary agri cultural practices that help to minimize the risk 
posed by the pests that have been  identified and to develop a syst em of documentary traceability with 
respect to the shipments of Dracaena plants that permits both the backward and forward monitoring of 
the process;  (iii) programme image and extension:   the objective is to help manage the other G/SPS/GEN/784 
Page 2  
 
  components by producing publications, organizing workshops, meeting with the different sectors 
involved, and developing and maintaining a programme web site (www.dracaenas.cnp.go.cr). 
6. One of the most prominent aspects of the project has been the setting up of a Steering 
Committee comprising actors from both the public and pr ivate sectors, with the official participation 
of the United States and contributions by intern ational academic institutions.  The programme is 
coordinated by the State Phytosanitary Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa 
Rica (MAG), with the executive and management s upport of the Tropical Agricultural Research and 
Higher Education Center (CATIE) and the Nationa l Production Council (CNP) as well as Purdue 
University.  The Ministry of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica (COMEX) and the United States 
Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant He alth Inspection Service (APHIS) also participate 
actively, providing political and technical support resp ectively.  The export industry is represented in 
each component of the project. 
7. The planned duration of the research project is three years (2005-2008) for a total cost of 
US$1,487,808.96 to be financed through funds provided by the Costa Rican Government which, in accordance with its State policies, created a s upport programme for the agricultural production sector 
in order to contribute to its productive, technological and entrepreneurial transformation, a 
prerequisite to improved competitiveness.  It is hoped that these measures will enable Costa Rica to 
secure and maintain access to the United States mark et and to achieve a significant annual increase in 
its exports of this type of  propagative material while improving its competitiveness vis-à-vis  
international markets. 
8. The Government of Costa Rica feels that it is im portant to share this bilateral experience in 
the application of sanitary and phytosanitary meas ures, an approach that will provide scientific 
arguments for reviewing the quarantine legislati on in force in the United States and developing 
mitigation measures to reduce the phytosanitary risk and promote international trade.  
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