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Saturday, April 10, 1976
NEW LAW PAVENTING SPREAD OF PLANT PESTS AND DISEASES
The Plant (Importation and Pest Control) Ordinance 1976, which ains
at preventing the spread of plant pests and diseases by controlling the
importation of plants and soil, will come into effect from May 1.
The new law gives legislative effect to the Plant Protection
Agreement for South East Asia, the terms of which Hong Kong is committed to
comply.
Under the Ordinance, the importation of certain plants will only be
allowed subject to quarantine.
These plants are rubber, tree cotton, sterculia, cocoa, mize, tea, pineapple, citrus, sweet potato, banana, cotton, groundnut and rice.
All other plants require only an import licence issued by the
Director of Agriculture and Fisheries and a valid phytosanitary certificate
from the exporting country.
Application for the required licence, for which no fee is charged,
may be made by writing to the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Canton
Road Government Offices, Canton Road, Kowloon.
A spokesman for the department said, however, there was no restriction
on the importation of cut flowers, fruits and vegetable for consumption,
grains, seeds and spices for human and animal consumption or for industri:1
use, timber, dried tobacco and manufactured articles incorporating dried lervos.
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