Honduras and OIRSA
The OIRSA Representation in Honduras has focused its efforts on assisting and supporting the country's health and phytosanitary programs, both technically and financially. Additionally, it administers a range of official programs and projects in a professional and ethically responsible manner.
Among the activities, programs, and projects developed are:
Animal Health
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- Implementation of the project to prevent and control Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
- Eradication of Classical Swine Fever in Honduras. Through a joint effort between OIRSA, the Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG) through the National Service of Agricultural and Livestock Health (SENASA), and with the support of producers, the country was declared free of Classical Swine Fever in 2011.
- The cattle traceability and animal identification training program is aimed at SENASA technical staff and the livestock sector. Additionally, a Cattle Traceability Regulation and the Operational Procedures Manual were developed.
- Training program on the Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome (AHPNS) in shrimp, including a simulation in case of the disease's possible occurrence and training on identifying the causative pathogen.
Plant Health
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- As part of the project "Strengthening the OIRSA region in the control of Huanglongbing (HLB) and the implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) in citrus," a nursery for the production of healthy plants is being built, and the molecular diagnostic capacity of the HLB-causing bacterium has been strengthened.
- Implementation of the regional phytosanitary program to support palm trees. The program is coordinated in Honduras and aimed at preventing and controlling the main pests affecting the palm family. The coordination of the first regional oil palm congress is highlighted.
- Support for fruit and vegetable producers and agro-exporters in the integrated management of Trips palmi and Paratrioza, as well as in the prevention of the Tomato Moth. (Tuta absoluta).
- Support for producers and agro-exporters in the Comayagua Valley in the certification of exports free from Trips palmi.
- In the framework of the Regional Program to support the control of Coffee Rust, coordinated from Honduras, the first Mega Convention on the Phytosanitary Management of Coffee Rust was developed, with financial assistance from the ICDF agency of Taiwan.
- Food safety training plan in the areas of HACCP, Good Agricultural Practices (BPA), and Good Manufacturing Practices (BPM) aimed at the agro-export sector in the Comayagua Valley.
Delegated services
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- The OIRSA has been executing the Servicio Internacional de Tratamientos Cuarentenarios (SITC), and thanks to its proper management, the country's government delegated to it in 2000 the Servicio de inspección cuarentenaria, SEPA. Currently, there are 16 SEPA posts nationwide, which are vigilant to the entry of any pest or disease that threatens the sanitary and phytosanitary status of Honduras and the OIRSA region.
- In 2001, the administration of the MOSCAMED project was delegated to the OIRSA through Executive Agreement 657-2002. With this agreement, the Honduran State declared the lower and upper Aguan area free of Moscamed (Ceratitis capitata). In 2009, through an agreement with the "Millennium Account," work was done to have the Moscamed-free area recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and SENASICA of Mexico. Currently, the process is in its final phase with the submission of technical dossiers to the agricultural authorities of Mexico, the United States, and Guatemala.
- Due to the success of various delegated services, the SAG, through a technical cooperation agreement, delegated the administration of the LANAR Laboratory (National Residue Analysis Laboratory) to the OIRSA in June 2005, under legislative decree 245-2005.
- This administration continuously develops technical quality and management systems that regulate the laboratory's operations. One of the most significant achievements in this regard is the recent implementation and application of the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 standard (ES). This standard establishes general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories to ensure the quality of the results. In addition to this accreditation, LANAR is a member of the Inter-American Network of Food Analysis Laboratories (RILAA). This globally prestigious institution promotes food safety and quality assurance in the region to protect consumer health and facilitate trade.
Additionally, OIRSA, with the financial support of the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), implemented a project to support the National Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures in Honduras. This project involved the development of a Committee website, research studies on agricultural competitiveness, training sessions, and the creation of a curriculum on sanitary and phytosanitary measures, among other activities.