Alerts

The purpose of this notification is to advise stakeholders of upcoming changes to import conditions for mixed seed for sowing.

Under the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, the Department of Agriculture reviewed the import conditions for the BICON case Mixed seed for sowing.

The review identified the need to enhance existing import conditions to provide:

• greater flexibility around offshore seed purity testing providers, by accepting an ISTA Orange International Seed Lot Certificate, seed analysis certificate or a NAL quality certificate as evidence of offshore purity testing
  

• strengthened measures to manage the risk of Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium) in imported full container loads (FCLs) of mixed seed that had been blended prior to offshore testing. Under the revised conditions:
  - FCLs exported from a Khapra beetle country are to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration confirming that the consignment had been inspected and found free from Khapra beetle
  

  - FCLs exported from a non-Khapra beetle country are to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate confirming that the goods are considered to be free from biosecurity pests.
  

The revised import conditions will take effect from 18 February 2020.

Consignments that are shipped to Australia prior to 18 February 2020 will be permitted entry into Australian territory under existing conditions;

• Commercial documentation must be provided to the department to verify that the date of export was prior to 18 February 2020.
  

• Consignments not meeting this requirement will be subject to the revised import conditions.
  

Who does this alert affect:
Importers of mixed seed for sowing, Assessment Services Group and Inspections Group.

Further information:
Please contact Plant Import Operations on 1800 900 090 or email imports@agriculture.gov.au.