Panama and OIRSA
For six decades, OIRSA has been working hand in hand with Panama's public and private sectors to address the health and phytosanitary issues affecting animals and plants. Some of the programs and projects in which OIRSA, through its Representation, has contributed and continues to do so in terms of agro-health include:
Animal Health
- Panama achieved the status of Negligible Risk for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).
- Technical support for the surveillance system of areas free from Brucellosis and Tuberculosis.
- Support for the surveillance program for a country and region free of Foot-and-Mouth Disease through financial support for the Laboratory of Vesicular Diseases Diagnosis (LADIVES), coordinating the shipment of samples for their respective analysis from the Central American countries.
- Support for the Program of a Country Free of Classical Swine Fever (CSF).
- Establishment of an Epidemiological Surveillance Program and Emergency Plan for Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease (AHPND) in the region's countries.
- Support for the certification of Panama as free from Newcastle and Avian Influenza for export to the United States.
- The Bovine Traceability Program in Panama is established thanks to the joint work of ANAGAN and MIDA.
- The OIRSA Representation leads the OIRSA Regional Animal Health Coordination in Panama.
Plant Health
- The regional coordination of the Project to support OIRSA countries in controlling Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) is carried out from the OIRSA Representation in Panama. In the country, two nurseries in protected environments are being built to produce certified plants and phytosanitary surveillance is being strengthened. The Citrus Germplasm Bank is being complemented with mother plants from the University of California, a collaboration facilitated by OIRSA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- Support the program's implementation to control the South American cucumber fly (Anastrepha grandis). OIRSA provides technical and financial assistance (regional emergency funds) to the program, given the regional importance of this quarantine pest.
- Support for the implementation of mass trapping devices for Ceratitis capitata (Ceratrap), a Spanish technology that utilizes acid-hydrolyzed protein through enzymatic hydrolysis and does not contain insecticides.
- Support for the "Azuero exports free of Moscamed" program, whose main objective is to achieve recognition from trading partners.
- Implementation of a phytosanitary improvement program for potato cultivation under the technical cooperation agreement between OIRSA and the NORD Committee in France.
- Support for the control program of the tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta and assistance for the maintenance of the Azuero Peninsula, an area impacting tomato production, as a pest-free area for this insect.
- Assistance from experts from the University of Florida, United States, and the Neiker Institute, Spain, for the regional control of the Thrips palmi pest, which restricts trade in horticultural crops. The use of the biological control agent known as the "pirate bug" (Orius insidiosus) has been promoted, leading to a reduction in the use of insecticides.
Food Safety
- Program of pre-audits under the regulations of the European Union DGSANCO for fishery and aquaculture products.
- Training program on good agricultural and livestock practices for public and private sectors.
- Assistance to the poultry sector in the study of prevalence/baseline of Salmonella spp. of public health interest.
Servicio Internacional de Tratamientos Cuarentenarios (SITC)
- Through this delegated service, it contributes to the protection and maintenance of the sanitary and phytosanitary status of the Republic of Panama. It addresses 13 peripheral posts (maritime ports and international airports) and three land borders, considered areas at risk of introducing pests and diseases. Additionally, there are 17 spray arches as preventive barriers in maritime ports and the country's land borders.