10 FEBRUARY
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
295

Notice Setting out the Requirements for the Importation of Seeds, Stock Feeds and Related Dried Products (Notice No. 1575 Ag. 31005)

PURSUANT to the Introduction and Quarantine of Plants Regulations 1973, and the Stock Foods and Agricultural Seeds Importation Regulations 1958, the Director-General of Agriculture and Fisheries hereby gives the following notice.

NOTICE

1. Title—This notice may be cited as the Importation of Seeds Notice 1977.

2. Types of Seed—For importing purposes, seed is divided into the following categories based on the proposed end use: sowing; human consumption; stock feed; bird seed; processing or manufacturing; and other uses.
   Where seed has been imported under one category and then found not suitable for that purpose, it must not be used for any other purpose without the prior approval of the Director-General of Agriculture and Fisheries.
   Most tree and shrub seeds are excluded from this notice and may be imported provided they are accompanied by an International Health Certificate (Appendix I, Certificate No. III, Basic Form) and comply with the conditions of paragraph 4 below. Exceptions included in this notice are: avocado; beech; chestnut; many conifers; elm; pecan (hickory); oak and poplar.
   Flower seeds except chrysanthemum and sunflower must comply with the conditions of paragraph 4 below.

3. Imports of Seed for Treatment and Re-export—The Director-General of Agriculture and Fisheries may authorise firms to import seed for the purpose of treatment (e.g., racheting, dressing, and coating) and re-export. Application for authorisation should be made to the Officer in Charge, Plant Health and Diagnostic Station, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Private Bag, Levin.

4. General Condition—All imports under this notice must be clearly identifiable, substantially free from injurious extraneous matter, apparently free from pests and disease, and packed in clean new sacks or packages or in clean containers that are secured against loss or spillage in transit.

5. Prohibited Seed—For plant health reasons, the importation of seed of the following plants is normally prohibited from some or all countries: Citrus (e.g., orange, lemon, lime); Helianthus (e.g., sunflower); Hevea (rubber); Humulus (hop); Nicotinia (e.g., tobacco); Prunus (stone fruit); and Zea mays (e.g., maize, popcorn, sweetcorn).

6. Revocation—The Importation of Agriculture and Vegetable Seeds Notice 1974 (Notice No. 788, Ag. 31005, New Zealand Gazette, No. 67, 11 July 1974, pages 1407 et. seq.) and the amendment to that notice (No. 805, Ag. 31005, New Zealand Gazette, No. 72, 25 July 1974, page 1540) issued, pursuant to the Introduction and Quarantine of Plants Regulations 1973, and the Stock Foods and Agricultural Seeds Importation Regulations 1958, are hereby revoked.

NOTE—The Introduction and Quarantine of Plants Regulations 1973 provide that no agricultural seed can be introduced without a prior permit to import from the Director-General of Agriculture and Fisheries. This notice indicates the likely conditions for the issue of permits, and the items currently under general consent (see Note 3 to Schedule A), but the Director-General may, for phytosanitary reasons, withdraw his consent for the importation of any item specified or vary the conditions for entry without prior notice. Alterations, additions, and deletions to this notice will be notified by the issue of amendment notices. Persons wishing to be placed on the mailing list for any subsequent amendments to this notice should send their names and addresses to the Officer in Charge, Plant Health and Diagnostic Station, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Private Bag, Levin.

Information on the conditions for the import of seeds not mentioned in this notice may be obtained from the above address.

NOTES TO SCHEDULE A—SEEDS FOR SOWING

This Schedule sets out the likely conditions for the import of seeds that are to be used for sowing purposes.

1. Acceptable Cultivars—Schedules of acceptable cultivars are contained in Appendix II to this notice. These are lists of New Zealand and overseas cultivars considered to be of value to New Zealand agriculture. Seed of overseas cultivars included on the lists may be imported for use in New Zealand.

2. Permits Required—(a) A prior permit from the Director-General of Agriculture and Fisheries to import any seed is required where the word 'Permit' appears in column 4 in this Schedule beside the name of that seed, or where the seed is not named in this Schedule. A permit may be issued subject to such conditions as the Director-General thinks fit. (Where the conditions are reasonably stable, these are indicated in this Schedule).

(b) Import permits for seeds of cultivars additional to those listed on the acceptable cultivar Schedules may be granted for multiplication and re-export purposes. Quarantine conditions must be fulfilled and acceptable evidence of a contract with an overseas concern produced. The crop must be grown under the supervision of the ministry, and no seed, either imported or taken from the resultant crop, is to be used or sold in New Zealand for seed without the prior approval of the Director-General.
Imports of herbage seeds for multiplication and re-export are limited to cultivars certified under an official seed certification system in the country of origin.

(c) Where the 'End Use' of the seed is limited to evaluation purposes only, the Director-General has approved the following maximum quantities of seed that may be imported:

Cereals (wheat, oats, barley, rye) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 kg.
Ryegrass, cocksfoot and fescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 kg.
Lucerne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 g.
Timothy, bents, etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 g.
Rape and kales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 g.
Turnips and swedes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 g.

Additional import quantities required for further testing may be granted at the discretion of the Director-General. Two of the conditions on the permit to import for evaluation purposes will be that seed must be grown at a place approved by the Director-General, and that the seed, or seed subsequently produced, may not be sold as seed within New Zealand unless and until such time as any of the new introductions qualify for 'acceptable listing.' Maximum quantities for seed of species not included in the above list will be given on application.

(d) Applications for permits to import any item shall be made to:

The Officer in Charge
Plant Health and Diagnostic Station
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
Private Bag
Levin

stating:
(1) Name and address of the importer;
(2) Quantity of seed to be imported;
(3) Common name of the seed;
(4) Botanical name of the seed;
(5) Cultivar name;
(6) Country of origin; and
(7) Purpose of importation: (e.g., general sowing, sowing for evaluation, sowing for personal use)

3. General Consent—Where the word 'Consent' appears in column 4 in this Schedule beside the name of any seed, the importation of that seed may be made without the need to apply for a prior permit to import, subject to compliance with the general condition and the conditions listed in respect of that seed.

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