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Consignee appeals to Ministry Secretary: Quarantine blocks release of grapes container

by Manjula Fernando

Quarantine authorities have refused to give clearance to a 20,000 kilo consignment of grapes imported by a Fort trading company, considering the possible hazards to our agricultural sector, official sources told the Daily News yesterday.

This container load of grapes imported from South Africa via Dubai 40 days ago is now lying at the Customs warehouse until a final word is obtained from the Agricultural Ministry Secretary. The consignee had appealed to the Secretary anticipating a reversal of the Quarantine Department ruling.

After some discrepancies were detected in the connecting documents including 'Phyto Sanitary Certificate' submitted by the importer for clearance, the Quarantine Department decided not to release the container.

Customs preliminary inquiries found the importer had forged this certificate to indicate that it had been issued by the agricultural authorities of Dubai. This certificate is issued to confirm that a commodity is uncontaminated.

"We cannot release this questionable container knowing that this trader tried to cover up something with forged documents and false information," Quarantine sources said.

Moreover, the Plant Quarantine Act does not permit the import of grapes from Dubai and it is not a grape producing country either, he said.

Agriculture Department sources contacted by the 'Daily News' confirmed that the consignment had been recommended for re-shipment on those grounds, however, it has now been referred to the Agriculture Ministry Secretary for reconsideration.

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