Copra (Inspection for Export) Regulations

COPRA (INSPECTION FOR EXPORT) REGULATIONS ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS PART I Inspection, packing, etc. REGULATION 1. Inspection processes. 2. Examination to be discontinued in certain cases. 3. Destruction of copra not of exportable quality, etc. 4. Copra of inferior quality. 5. Packing. 6. Sealing. 7. Entry in the register. 8. Stacking. 9. Offences and penalties. PART II Check-test of copra at Ports 10. Check-tests of copra at ports of shipment. 11. Weighing of pieces of unsuitable copra and extraneous substances. 12. Rejection of copra for shipment. 13. Application of regulation 4 to defective copra after check-tests etc. PART III Provisions for pest control in copra 14. Treatment of copra by fumigation. IS. Warning notice. 16. Interference by unauthorised person. PART IV General 17. Interpretation. 18. Short title. COPRA (INSPECTION FOR EXPORT) REGULATIONS [L.N. 123 of 1961. L.N. 14 of 1979.] under section 7 [6th March, 1979] [Commencement.] PART I Inspection, packing, etc. 1. Inspection processes (1) Any Produce Inspector (in these Regulations called "the Inspector") carrying out an inspection shall (a) spread a quantity of copra evenly on clean tarpaulin spread on the ground or on cemented surface, but not on bare ground; and (b) inspect the nuts and take a representative sample. (2) The Inspector shall take random samples from any parcel or parcels and draw therefrom a further sample weighing 45 kilogrammes. (3) The Inspector shall exercise due diligence in the examination of the sample and shall take adequate care to sift from the sample such pieces of copra that are either im mature nuts, discoloured, mouldy or broken. (4) Extraneous substances which are mixed up with copra shall also be extracted. (5) The Inspector shall weigh such pieces of defective copra and extraneous sub stances and calculate the result as a percentage of the representative sample examined. (6) The Inspector shall cause the result to be recorded in the register subject to para graph (1) above, and where the result of examination shows that a particular parcel falls within a grade prescribed, it shall be so graded. 2. Examination to be discontinued in certain cases Where upon examination the Inspector is satisfied that the copra in any bag or a sam ple therefrom is not dry, he shaJl so notify the owner and shall discontinue further exami nation. 3. Destruction of copra not of exportable quality, etc. Where copra has been inspected whether it has been graded or not, the storekeeper shall so soon thereafter ensure that such pieces of copra which are not of exportable quality as well as other extraneous substances are removed from the registered produce store and destroyed at a distance reasonably removed from the store. 4. Copra of inferior quality (1) Without prejudice to regulation 3 of these Regulations, where copra is found to be of inferior quality, the Produce Officer shall (a) detain such copra in the store where it is found and apply to the Magistrates Court in whose area of jurisdiction the store is situated for an order to destroy the copra or for an order that the copra be forfeited; and (b) notify the owner of the Produce Officer's application for a court order. 5. Packing (1) After examination and grading, the copra shall immediately be packed in clean, sound and dry B-twill bags, and the bags shall (a) be marked "copra" in letters at least 60 mm high; and (b) the bags shall be securely sewn at once without lugs by means of locked stitches placed not more than 2.5 cm apart. (2) The twine used in the sewing of the bags shall be strong and continuous with the end so disposed that no nuts are exposed and that the ends can be securely sealed. 6. Sealing The Inspector who graded the copra shall seal each bag with the official seal issued to him for that purpose and each seal shall bear the design and letters, if any, of the seal press officially allotted to the Inspector. 7. Entry in the register The storekeeper or his authorised agent, shall enter in the register the number of bags of copra graded by parcel on the same day, and shall sign against each entry, and the In spector shall countersign each entry made by the storekeeper or his authorised agent in the register immediately after each entry is made. 8. Stacking The storekeeper shall ensure that the bags of copra which have been graded and sealed are forthwith stacked on wooden platforms or such dunnage as may be considered suitable and adequate by a produce officer and arranged in such a manner that no part of a bag shall come in contact with the floor or a wall of the store. 9. Offences and penalties Any person who (a) exports or attempts to export copra without first complying with all the re quirements of these Regulations; or (b) wilfully tampers with any package or graded copra; or (c) wilfully tampers with copra detained under regulation 4 of these Regulations; or (d) obstructs, resists or hinders an Inspector in the lawful exercise of his powers or duties under these Regulations; or (e) contravenes, or defaults in complying with, any provision of these Regulations, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of N 100 or to imprisonment for six months, or to both such fine and imprisonment. PART II Check-tests of copra at Ports 10. Check-tests of copra at ports of shipment (1) At any port of shipment where copra produce which has been inspected, graded, sealed and marked for export by the Produce Inspection Service of a State is delivered or presented for export, officers of the Federal Produce Inspection Service shall conduct check-tests on such copra produce. (2) For the purposes of these regulations, all the bags of copra available shall be di vided into lots of fifty bags each and stacked five bags high in such a way that both the ends and sides can be examined. (3) The Inspector shall choose at random a number of bags, being not less than one tenth of the total number of bags to be inspected, and each bag so chosen shall be emptied separately and its contents examined. (4) If upon examination of the representative bags of copra so chosen the Inspector is satisfied that the copra is thoroughly dry, he shall then proceed to examine the contents of such bags. (5) From the contents of each bag the Inspector shall draw a representative sample 45.44 kilogrammes in weight for every tonne weight of copra and shall examine each sample separately and shall sift from the samples pieces that (a) are prepared from immature nuts; or (b) have shown signs of attack by insects; or (c) are mouldy; or (d) are discoloured; or (e) are broken; or (f) are extraneous substances. 11. Weighing of pieces of unsuitable copra and extraneous substances (l) The Inspector shall weigh the pieces of unsuitable cobra and extraneous sub stances which have been sifted, and the result shall be calculated as a percentage of each representative sample examined. (2) The Inspector who check-tested and passed such copra for shipment as export, shall ensure that all the bags in a parcel or lot are stamped with the letter stamp officially issued for that purpose. 12. Rejection of copra for shipment (1) If upon final check-test, a lot or parcel of copra already inspected, graded, sealed and marked for export by the Produce Inspection Service of a State, is found to be not of exportable quality, or if evidence exists that it has been tampered with, the copra shall not be passed for export but shall be rejected for shipment. (2) A written report of this finding shall be made by the Federal Produce Officer to the Head of the Federal Inspection Service located in the State concerned. 13. Application of regulation 4 to defective copra after check-tests, etc. (1) The provisions of regulation 4 of these Regulations (which relate to the destruc tion of copra not of exportable quality) shall apply to all defective copra and all extrane ous substances found during check-tests. (2) Any person who contravenes or defaults in complying with the provisions of this regulation shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of N50 or three months imprisonment or to both such fine and imprisonment. PART III Provisions for pest control in copra 14. Treatment of copra by fumigation Whenever in the opinion of an Inspector it is desirable that a parcel of copra be sub jected to treatment in order to render it pest-free, he shall proceed to treat the parcel by the process of fumigation. 15. Warning notice During the process of fumigation, notice shall be duly put up warning any unauthor ised persons to keep off the area. 16. Interference by unauthorised person (1) If in defiance of an express warning given under regulation 15 of these Regula tions any unauthorised person (a) so closely approaches the vicinity of the fumigation as to endanger his life or that of the person operating the fumigation plant; or (b) interferes in any way with such operation, he shall be forthwith ordered by a Produce officer or an Assistant Produce Officer or any other officer authorised in that behal f by the Produce Officer to withdraw from such area forthwith. (2) Where such an unauthorised person has been ordered to withdraw from the vicin ity of the fumigation and he refuses to comply with the order he shall be guilty of an of fence and shall on summary conviction be liable to a fine of N50 or to three months im prisonment or to both such fine and imprisonment. PART IV General 17. Interpretation In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires "attacked by insect" means copra nut which has been damaged by insects; "broken shell" means copra nut that is cracked or broken into pieces; "discoloured" means copra nut which is pale in colour, or burnt by fire and smells like smoke; "extraneous substances" means anything that is not copra found in a parcel of copra; "immature nut" means copra nut which is not thoroughly ripe; "mouldy" means copra nut which has developed mould and has consequently be come pale or dullish in colour with a bad smell; "parcel of copra" means a quantity of copra of not more than fifty bags. 18. Short title These Regulations may be cited as the Copra (Inspection for Export) Regulations.