In an era where technology continues to revolutionize various sectors, regional biosecurity and plant protection officers, along with agriculture representatives, are urging more Pacific countries to adopt electronic phytosanitary certificates, or ePhyto.

EPhyto Regional Project Coordinator Ilaisa Dakaica says ePhyto certificates are official documents issued by a country’s biosecurity agency attesting that a consignment of plant products has been thoroughly inspected and meets the necessary import requirements.

Dakaica says this third workshop hosted by SPC aims to empower participants and countries to utilize the digital alternative which will make trade cheaper and faster.

“Currently some countries are using paper certificates but now we have gone into electronic sending of the certificates so it’s beneficial for the country in terms of faster trade and cheaper.”

Several countries including Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand and the US have already embraced this digital transformation, reaping the benefits of the ePhyto system.