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STATE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT INSPECTION PROPOSAL WOULD ASSIST EXPORTERS
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass is proposing a plan to allow state inspectors to issue federal phytosanitary certificates, which would streamline export of the state’s logs, lumber and other plant material.
A phytosanitary certificate is an official document issued by a state or federal agricultural agency certifying that a regulated article meets the import standards of a receiving state or country.
“If this proposal is approved, it will be of benefit to those agriculture and forestry industries that send logs, lumber and plants from West Virginia to foreign countries, or to states that require phytosanitary certificates, by providing more convenient access to the service,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “International trade is constantly expanding and we need to give our industries every competitive advantage possible.”
Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a number of approved states issue such certificates and collect fees for their work. West Virginia could become certified by having personnel trained by USDA, but the West Virginia Legislature has to approve any new fees. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture’s (WVDA) proposal would set fees at the same level as USDA’s.
WVDA Plant Industries Division Director Gary Gibson noted that the same service is available at coastal ports, but because of the fees charged by other entities at the ports, the overall cost to the exporter is much higher. Gibson also noted that the number of requests has gone up in recent years. In 1996, WVDA assisted with 97 phytosanitary inspections. From January through August of 2006 [most recent data], WVDA conducted 596 visits. If approved, the fees would go into effect on July 1, 2008.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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