QUARANTINE UNIT
Services provided
- Issuing of Plant Import permits
- Issuing of Phytosanitary certificate
- Preparation of Market Assess Documents
- Vegetable/Fruit Pack-House Inspections
- Inspection/ certification of plant material to be exported or imported
- Conducts Pest Risk Analysis for New Import Requests
Plant import Information
The importation and export of plant and plant material into of Saint Lucia is regulated by the Plant Protection Act No. 21 of 1988 and Regulations made thereunder in Saint Lucia, a Plant Import Permit must be issued by the Crop Protection & Quarantine Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Co-operatives.
Approval process for Importing Plant Material
- Contact the Department of Agriculture – Plant Quarantine Unit to determine if the commodity that you intend to import is an approved one.
- If the commodity is allowed, submit a Plant Material import Application form for approval.
- The Plant Quarantine unit will review the application by performing a Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) as to ensurethat no new pest status has occurred in the country of origin of the commodity at the time of application processing.
- Once all requirements are met approval will be given for importation and a plant import permit will be issued.
- If the commodity is one that has never been given approval the application Process will be longer as an in depth PRA has to be done( which entails getting information from the country of origin of that commodity on pest and diseases associated with the commodity in its natural environment. Processing of that application can only begin when the necessary information needed is obtained).
- Once all requirements are met after reviewing the commodity risk the customer will be notified of their application status (whether that commodity will be allowed to enter or denied entry).
A plant Material Import permit Application Form must be filled out completely and in duplicate before any plant material can be imported into the country.
For plant materials which have already gained entry approval into the country from approved pest free countries, the application process is two weeks or less for renewed application processing. For entries which have never been given approval or from new country of origin the application process will be two weeks or more. As time will be needed to conduct a PRA.
Entry Requirements (Documents) for Plant Materials:
| Plant Material | Required Documents |
|---|---|
|
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables |
-Plant Import Permit -Original Phytosanitary Certificate |
|
Forest Products (Lumber/Plywood) |
-Plant Import Permit -Heat Treatment/Fumigation Certificate |
|
Seeds |
-Plant Material Import Permit -Phytosanitary Certificate Seeds packaged in clear ziplock bags, repackaged in unmarked bags, or labels not written in English are prohibited |
|
Plants |
-Plant Import Permit -Phytosanitary Certificate |
|
Cut Flowers |
-Plant Import Permit -Phytosanitary Certificate |
|
Craft Items (Straw and Wood) |
-Plant Import Permit -Phytosanitary Certificate |
Soil entry into Saint Lucia for any other purpose other than lab testing or recognized scientific research is strictly prohibited.
Plant Quarantine Traveler’s Advisory
Planning to bring back a bit of your vacation home with you? If this includes plant material such as live plants, cut flowers, craft items made of wood or straw, fruits and vegetables, seeds, grains – these may harbor foreign pests that is not yet established in Saint Lucia and may cost the island thousands of dollars in damages to our so fragile agricultural sector.
- Contact the Quarantine unit before you travel or place an order for any of plant material to find out if it is allowed into the Island.
- Declare all plant material to the customs agent at all ports of entry; be honest when filling out your declaration form.
All commercial consignments of fresh fruits, vegetables and other plant products must undergo inspection certification by a Plant Quarantine officer in order to obtain a phytosanitary certificate which is needed for entry at its final port of entry.
- All commercial export must be packed in an approved pack house
- All clients seeking to export must first obtain an import permit from the respective plant protection and Quarantine authority of the importing country (this document is needed to guide the local PQ officers on the requirement the items must meet before export and must be presented to the PQ officer when the request for export is being made).
- A 48 hour notice must be given to the PQ office to arrange for an officer to carry out inspection of the commodity for export.
- Once the PQ officer is satisfied the commodity has met the export requirements a Phytosanitary certificate will be issued to the client.
OUR TEAM
CONTACT US
- Natisha Duncan-Joseph
- Email: natisha.duncan-joseph@govt.lc
- Phone:1758-7255989
- Martina Gilbert
- Email: martina.gilbert@govt.lc
- Phone:1758-7196454
- Duane Antoine
- Email: duane.antoine@govt.lc
- Phone:1758-454/6254 / 7255987
- Leroy St. Louis
- Email: Leroy.stlouis@govt.lc
- Phone:1758-454 – 6254
- Cherrianne Johny
- Email: cherrianne.johny@govt.lc
- Phone:1758-454 – 6254
- Stephie Ramine
- Email: stephie.ramine@govt.lc
- Phone:1758-7156131
- David Wilson
- Email: david.wilson@govt.lc
- Phone:1758-7256190
- Biko King
- Email: biko.king@govt.lc
- Phone:1758-7256185