The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has called on exporters, importers and any international traders who use wood packaging material to comply with safety regulations.
According to the department, should industry bodies fail to comply, shipments and consignments may be subjected to treatment, destruction or refused entry at South African borders and ports.
“Untreated wood-packaging material can be a pathway for the introduction of pests of economic concern, which may negatively affect the country’s natural resources, agriculture and forestry in particular,” the department said.
A report from the National Plant Protection Organisation of South Africa (NPPOZA) suggests that Heat Treatment (HT), Dielectric Heating (DH) and fumigation with Methyl Bromide (MB) or Sulphuryl Fluoride (SF) are the only approved treatments.
“These treatments are considered significantly effective against most pests of living trees associated with wood packaging material. Irrespective of the type of treatment applied, wood packaging must be made of debarked wood,” NNPOZA said.
