《TAIPEI TIMES》 Executive Yuan approves draft of bill which would accredit ‘plant doctors’

JOB DESCRIPTION: Plant doctors would identify plant pests and report the discovery of new pests, diagnose plant disorders and teach pest control techniques

By Chung Li-hua and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writer

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The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a draft bill of a “plant doctor act” （植物診療師法）, which would make Taiwan the first nation to establish dedicated laws and accredit plant doctors through a national examination, Premier Cho Jung-tai （卓榮泰） said.

The act would facilitate a pesticide reduction policy, while demonstrating the government’s determination to ensure agricultural product safety and environmentally sustainable development, Cho said.

Developing a professional plant doctor service system would help rebuild production management of the agrifood supply chain from upstream, and supply a workforce for the controlling of plant disease epidemics, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency Deputy Director-General Du Li-hua （杜麗華） said.

Plant doctors would be obligated to report the discovery of new pests in Taiwan to authorities within 24 hours, and assist with plant disease and pest control, the draft bill states.

Meanwhile, accredited plant doctors could also teach farm workers about precision pesticide use, as global climate change has raised the public’s awareness of food safety and the safe use of pesticides in agriculture, Du said.

Reducing the risks of the use of chemical pesticide in agriculture has become a global trend, Du added.

The establishment of the plant doctor profession would not affect agricultural workers’ right to use the agency’s pest control diagnosis services, and plant doctors would not be permitted to sell pesticides without a certification in agricultural pesticide management, she said.

The act would not be applicable to forestry technologists, horticultural technologists and agronomists, and would not affect their rights, Du added.

The draft bill stipulates that future plant doctors could practice the profession nationwide with one registration.

Their job would include the identification of plant pests, diagnosis of physiological plant disorders, and instruction on pest control techniques.

The draft bill is to be sent to the Legislative Yuan for approval.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES