MBOMBELA – The Department of Agriculture (DoA), together with the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA), commemorated the International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) on Tuesday, 12 May, in Mbombela, with calls for stronger plant biosecurity to protect food security and livelihoods.
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The commemoration was held under the theme: “Plant Biosecurity for Food Security and Nutrition”, highlighting the urgent need to protect crops against invasive pests and diseases threatening agricultural production. Delivering the keynote address, Deputy Director-General for Agricultural Production, Biosecurity and Natural Resources Management at the Department of Agriculture, Dipepeneneng Serage said protecting plants should be regarded as a shared responsibility.
“Protecting plants is not just the responsibility of farmers, government, scientists or the agriculture sector, but a shared national and global responsibility,” said Serage. He warned that pests and plant diseases continue to pose a serious threat to food security, livelihoods and the country’s agricultural sector. Plants make up 80% of the food consumed globally and are also the main source of oxygen, yet they remain under constant attack from pests and diseases.
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According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), up to 40% of food crops are destroyed annually by pests and diseases. The Department of Agriculture said South Africa continues to face challenges linked to quarantine pests and plant diseases, including the Oriental fruit fly, Polyphagous shothole borer, Macadamia felted coccid disease, Fall armyworm, Banana Bunchy Top Virus, Citrus greening and Citrus black spot.
Officials said the spread of these pests threatens food security and negatively affects agricultural production, particularly in poor rural communities that rely heavily on farming for income and survival. The department further stressed the importance of strengthening plant biosecurity systems through collaboration with universities, research institutions such as the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), provincial governments, municipalities, traditional leaders and the private sector.
The event concluded with a visit to the Mpumalanga International Food Market, where farmers and delegates observed its operations and its role in connecting local producers to regional and international markets. The Department of Agriculture and DARDLEA encouraged communities to work together in raising awareness, strengthening plant protection systems and safeguarding the future through healthy plants.
