Changes

The purpose of this notification is to advise stakeholders that Phase 1 of revised import conditions for restricted apiaceous seeds for sowing has commenced.

The revised conditions apply to the following seed species, including their synonyms and sub-ordinate taxa:

• Anthriscus cerefolium (chervil)
• Apium graveolens (celery)
• Daucus carota (carrot)
• Foeniculum vulgare (fennel)
• Pastinaca sativa (parsnip)
• Petroselinum crispum (parsley).

Key changes under Phase 1:
The following revised conditions apply to consignments that arrive in Australia on or after 30 March 2021.

1. New import permit requirement:
   All consignments of Anthriscus cerefolium (chervil), Apium graveolens (celery), Foeniculum vulgare (fennel), Pastinaca sativa (parsnip) and Petroselinum crispum (parsley) seeds for sowing must now be accompanied with a valid import permit.
   
   Consignments that arrive on or after 30 March 2021 without an import permit, including scenarios where an application is currently under consideration, will be directed for export or destruction in an approved manner.
   
   To submit an import permit application through BICON, navigate to the relevant BICON case and import scenario and click on the 'Apply Now' button at the bottom of the page. Additional instructions on applying for an import permit is located on the department’s webpage:
   
   • Guidance on how to apply for an import permit
   • Fees and charges for import permits .

2. Treatment requirement for carrot and fennel seed for sowing
   Daucus carota (carrot) and Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) seed for sowing must be treated with a broad-spectrum fungicide (e.g. Thiram) either prior to export, or on-arrival in Australian territory. This treatment is required to manage the risk of fungal pathogens, Diaporthe angelicae on carrot seed and Cercospora foeniculi on fennel seed.
   
   Seed lots that are treated offshore must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate that is endorsed with details of the treatment. If phytosanitary certification is not presented or accepted, consignments must be treated at an approved arrangement (AA) site in Australian territory.
   
   Importers are reminded that limited AA sites are available to perform fungicide treatments in Australian territory, and to ensure that arrangements are made prior to importation.

3. Additional updates to import conditions
   Existing import conditions will continue to apply, including mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing or hot water treatment to manage the risk of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’. However, the following updates have been made to import conditions to ensure that they are fit-for-purpose, effective and consistent:
   
   • An offshore laboratory test report must accompany all consignments that had been PCR tested for ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ prior to export. The report must include details such as the species and seed lot/s tested, the size of the testing sample, the type of test performed, and the testing result.
   
   • Seed samples for onshore ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ testing must be drawn from each seed lot within the consignment by a biosecurity officer; samples cannot be drawn across multiple seed lots.
   
   • Consignments being treated to manage the risk of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ must be treated using hot water immersion at 50°C for 20 minutes. Other types of heat treatment (e.g. dry heat, moist heat) will no longer be accepted.

Next steps:
The above measures represent the first of two phases that the department will implement in accordance with the final review of import conditions for apiaceous vegetable seeds for sowing (Figure 1). The implementation of further phases is dependent on risk management options being operationally available.

The department will keep stakeholders updated on the approach and commencement date for subsequent phases, as this information becomes available.

(Above) Figure 1. Phased approach to implement revised import conditions for restricted Apiaceous seeds for sowing.

Who does this notice affect:
Importers (and their customs brokers) of apiaceous vegetable seed and department staff.

Further information:
Please contact Plant Import Operations on 1800 900 090 or email imports@agriculture.gov.au (please title the subject line of the email ‘Plant Tier 2 - vegetable seeds import conditions’).