The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) will host an event in Gauteng to celebrate the International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) on 12 May 2023. The IDPH was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022 as a legacy initiative of the 2020 International Year of Plant Health. The day is designated to raise global awareness and encourage communities on how protecting plant and crop health can help to end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity, and boost economic development. The theme for IDPH 2023 is:
“Plant Health for Environmental Protection”.
The aim of the IDPH is to increase awareness among the public and policy makers on the importance of keeping plants healthy to achieve the UN 2030 Agenda and, particularly, Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger (SDG 2). The IDPH further seeks to minimise the risk of spreading plant pests through international trade in plants and plant products and to foster the implementation of the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) and other normative tools to protect plant health while protecting the environment.
The DALRRD as the lead department on plant health matters, invites all interested parties, industry bodies, the farming community and the public to mark the day by organising activities to raise awareness on plant health and other related matters. Other activities that can be undertaken to celebrate include, hosting farmers’ days, symposiums, tree planting, lectures, fairs, pest and disease scouting, fun walk, hiking, roundtables, advertisements, school lessons and workshops.
Get involved in the celebration of the IDPH and be part of protecting plants and protecting life.
Details of the event are as follows:
- Date: 12 May 2023
- Time: 9h00
- Venue: Roodeplaat ( ARC VOPI)
For further information on the IDPH, please contact:
Deputy Director: Biosecurity Promotion and Awareness:
Mr Mpho Sekgala
National Plant Protection Organisation of South Africa (NPPOZA)
Mobile: 083 962 5807
Email: MphoS@dalrrd.gov.za
