Quarantine regulations are formulated by governments to reduce the chances of pests being introduced on articles imported from foreign countries. Quarantine is accomplished through prohibition, interception and elimination of pests, diseases and weeds at pre-entry, entry and post-entry points of the consignment. Since pest and disease organisms move freely over national boundaries, the development and application of solutions require international cooperation. Various laws and regulations passed time to time pertaining to the import of plants and plant materials are discussed. Quarantine pests of important crops, their geographical distribution, mode of transmission and quarantine measures are described.
