Colombian Agriculture Institute (ICA)

The Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) is a National public entity and a legal personality, that counts with administrative autonomy and an independent patrimony. It is a part of the National Competitive, Science, Technology and Innovation System (SNCCTI) and it depends on the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The ICA was created in 1962, in order to coordinate and intensify the investigation, teaching and the Agricultural Science Extensions labors, to achieve the most harmonic development of all the activities of the Industry, and specially to facilitate the agrarian social reform.

In the present, the ICA has the responsibility of working on the agricultural health control of the country, by applying the sanitary and phytosanitary measures, oriented by the processes of epidemiological surveillance, assessment, management and communication of risks in primary production. Additionally, it plays a leading role in the development of agreements and international negotiations on the opening of markets from the Colombian countryside’s products.

The ICA headquarters are located in Bogotá, D.C. and have 32 sectional managers (one per department), on which it counts on a highly qualified human resource to efficiently address the zoo and phytosanitary problems that affect primary production systems in the national territory.

Throughout the country there are 167 local offices that work for agricultural health and agro-food safety in the Colombian countryside, which is recognized nationally and internationally for its high standards as a health authority.

To fulfill the institutional mission, the ICA is organized by five sub-managers that allow it to better guide its functions and are the following:

• Sub-Management of Analysis and Diagnosis.
• Sub-Administration of Regulation.
• Sub-Administration of Plant Protection.
• Animal Sub-Management.
• Border Sub-Administration.

Functions

ICA designs and executes strategies to prevent, control and reduce health, biological and chemical risks to animal and plant species that may affect agricultural, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture production in Colombia.

It carries out applied research and the administration, research and management of fisheries and aquaculture resources, in order to protect the health of people, animals and plants and ensure the trade conditions.

Its actions are oriented to achieve a competitive agricultural production, in order to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Export Bet of Colombia. Performs the inspection and control of agricultural, animal and vegetable products at border crossings, airports and ports.

ICA is responsible for the negotiations of bilateral or multilateral sanitary and phytosanitary agreements that allow the marketing of agricultural products abroad and through which it seeks to guarantee the growth of exports.

Similarly, ICA is responsible for ensuring the quality of agricultural inputs and seeds used in Colombia, while regulating and controlling the use of genetically modified living organisms for the agricultural sector.

Import and Export

Among the functions of the ICA regarding the import and export of products, the ICA also facilitates the processes of the external trade, by using informatics appliances.

This processes consist on the verification of the sanitary quality of agricultural products that are imported into the country, with the objective of avoiding the income of sanitary risks for the National production and to guarantee the population’s access to safe food.

In order to achieve this goal, the ICA counts on the Agricultural Products Import and Export Information System (SISPAP). This tools allows importers and exporters to directly participate in the process of import and export of products from and into Colombia.

Contact

68A Carrera St. 24B -10

Plaza Claro Building - Tower Nº3

(57) +01 7563030

Reference

https://www.ica.gov.co