Ban on importing infected potato seeds: Protecting Saudi food security

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Strict measures to protect local agriculture

In a strategic move aimed at strengthening food security and protecting the Kingdom's agricultural resources, the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has issued a comprehensive regulatory guide establishing new and stricter rules for importing potato seeds. This decision is a precautionary measure to prevent the entry of quarantine pests and serious epidemic diseases that could be transmitted through imported shipments, thus ensuring the safety of local crops and increasing the efficiency of national agricultural production.

Context and importance of the decision for food security

Potatoes are considered a strategic crop globally and locally, and constitute an essential part of the food basket for citizens and residents of the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia relies heavily on importing high-quality potato seeds from specific countries to ensure high yields and excellent quality in the final crop. However, this reliance on imports carries biological risks, as imported seeds can be a gateway for the introduction of deadly pests not present in the local environment, potentially causing significant economic losses for farmers and threatening the sustainability of the agricultural sector. This measure aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which prioritizes achieving self-sufficiency in essential crops and securing food supply chains.

Key new import requirements

The regulatory guide stipulates a set of precise conditions that importers must adhere to, most notably:

Prior approval: Importers are required to obtain prior approval from the relevant department in the ministry before completing any import process.
Approved sources: The importation of potato seeds is prohibited except from approved seed producers that are subject to official field and laboratory control programs in the country of origin.
High quality: The imported seed grade must not be less than the basic grade “E” or its equivalent or higher, to ensure the quality of agricultural inputs.
Mandatory documents: Each shipment must be accompanied by a package of certificates and documents upon arrival at border crossings, including a phytosanitary certificate, a certificate of origin, a purchase invoice, and a certificate proving that the seeds are not genetically modified.

List of strictly prohibited stone pests

The ministry stressed the necessity of ensuring that imported shipments are completely free from a long list of highly dangerous quarantine pests, which pose a direct threat to potato cultivation. Among the most prominent of these pests are:

Bacterial diseases: such as brown rot (Ralstonia solanacearum) and ring rot (Clavibacter michiganensis).
Fungal diseases: such as potato cancer (Synchytrium endobioticum), which can remain in the soil for decades.
Nematodes: such as the golden and white bladder nematode (Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida), which are considered among the most dangerous pests globally due to their ability to completely destroy the crop.
Insects: such as the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) and the Guatemalan potato moth (Tecia solanivora).
Viruses and viroids: such as the potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) and a group of viruses that cause dwarfism and jaundice.

The guide also categorically prohibited the importation of any seeds from farms that had previously been recorded as being infected with any of these soil-borne pests, as a precautionary measure to prevent the recurrence of pathogen transmission.

Expected impact on the agricultural sector

These measures are expected to have a multifaceted positive impact. Domestically, they will protect farmers by reducing the risk of crop loss, lowering pesticide costs, and promoting the sustainability of their farmland. Internationally, these regulations will raise plant health standards in the Kingdom, aligning them with global best practices, thereby enhancing the reputation of Saudi agricultural products and strengthening the Kingdom's position in international agricultural trade.