New regional pesticide registration centre proposed in Pacific

A meeting hosted by the Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicine Authority (APVMA) at their offices in Kingston, Canberra brought together pesticide registrars from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu, as well as heads of research and CEOs. Solomon Islands were not able to send a representative.

The five countries are part of FAO activities under the EC ACP Secretariat funded project on Capacity Building for the Implementation of Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEAs) in ACP Countries - Pacific Component.

The proposed regional centre and establishment of a pesticide stock management system (PSMS) is a response to an identified need from the countries for a regionally harmonised pesticide registration system and a central place that can be an entry point for donor and technical assistance from partners - FAO, the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and APVMA - and somewhere to pool resources. The centre will be housed in the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). A request to formalise the operation of the centre will be submitted to the Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry meeting in September 2012.