New Zealand
March 8, 2016

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has issued an amendment to the import health standard (IHS) 155.02.05 Seeds for Sowing under section 24A of the Biosecurity Act (1993). The IHS, dated 02nd March 2016, replaces the earlier version of the standard dated 21st January 2016. The revised IHS can be downloaded here:

Download the IHS 155.02.05 Seeds for Sowing (PDF, 1.4 MB)

The following changes have been incorporated in this amendment to the IHS:

1. Section: Seed for Laboratory Testing, Analysis or Research present in the IHS: Seeds for Sowing has been amended to include a paragraph referring to the importation of GMO seeds for research purposes. It is important to make it clear that GMO seeds are required to have an EPA approval to be imported into New Zealand and it also requires a permit to import issued by the Imports & Exports (Plants) Group.
2. The virus Andean potato mild mosaic virus (APMMV) has be added to the Solanum tuberosum pest list and schedule in the Import Health Standard 155.02.05 – Seeds for Sowing. The seed transmitted virus APMMV was formerly considered to be a strain of another seed-transmitted regulated virus, Andean potato latent virus (APLV, strain Hu), but it has since been recognised as a new species by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) and the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO).

Questions related to this amendment should be directed to:
Plant Germplasm (Imports) team
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
plantimports@mpi.govt.nz

Additional information about importing seeds for sowing can be found on the MPI website:
Importing seeds for sowing

Website: http://www.maf.govt.nz

Published: March 8, 2016