11 February 2021
Who does this notice affect?
This notice is of interest to importers (and their customs brokers) of the following restricted apiaceous species as seed for sowing:
- Anthriscus cerefolium (chervil)
- Apium graveolens (celery)
- Daucus carota (carrot)
- Foeniculum vulgare (fennel)
- Pastinaca sativa (parsnip)
- Petroselinum crispum (parsley)
What will change and when?
On 30 March 2021, the following conditions will be introduced for the above species, including their synonyms and sub-ordinate taxa.
Important: These changes are in addition to new import permit requirements for apiaceous seed species, which will be implemented on 30 March 2021 as originally advised in Industry Advice Notice 215-2020.
(1) For Daucus carota (carrot) and Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) seed for sowing
All consignments of Daucus carota and Foeniculum vulgare seed for sowing must be treated with a broad-spectrum fungicide (e.g. Thiram) either prior to export, or on-arrival in Australia.
- 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. Where phytosanitary certification is not presented or acceptable, consignments are subject to onshore treatment at a Department-approved facility that is able to perform the required treatment.
- Goods that are not treated prior to export must be treated on arrival, or they will be directed for export or disposal in an approved manner.
- There are limited department-approved facilities available in Australia to perform fungicide treatment onshore and therefore, we strongly recommend that the seed is treated prior to export.
- For seed being treated in Australia, importers are responsible for:
- contacting relevant facilities to confirm all arrangements prior to importation, including the site’s availability to treat the quantity of seed within the consignment.
- all fees and charges associated with treatment application and departmental supervision.
(2) For all the six listed apiaceous vegetable seed species imported for sowing
All other 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’.
The department is implementing other updates 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 following the implementation of revised conditions on 30 March 2021.
Background
The import conditions that are currently within BICON to manage existing seed pathogens will remain in place, which includes mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing or hot water treatment to manage the risk of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’, with some updates due to the identification of other pathogens of biosecurity concern.
Why are these changes taking place?
The increased biosecurity risk associated with imported seeds for sowing has prompted the department to review the import conditions for four key vegetable seed families: Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae. Apiaceous vegetable seeds are the third of the series being reviewed.
The department will soon publish the final review of import conditions for apiaceous vegetable seeds for sowing, which identifies four quarantine pests associated with the seeds of several apiaceous vegetables. These pathogens are: ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’, Cercospora foeniculi, Diaporthe angelicae and Strawberry latent ringspot virus. Additional measures are required to reduce the risks posed by the identified quarantine pests to achieve the appropriate level of protection for Australia.
Once published, the final report can be accessed on the department’s webpage. Stakeholders are encouraged to view the report for further information on the quarantine pests identified and the pest risk management measures recommended for each seed host.
How will the department implement the recommendations within the final report?
The recommendations will be implemented in two or more phases, under which specific revised conditions will be introduced. Phase 1, i.e. changes listed in this IAN, will take effect on 30 March 2021. The implementation of further phases is dependent on risk management measure/s options being operationally available.
The department will keep stakeholders updated on the approach and commencement date for subsequent phases, as the remaining risk management measure/s options become available.
Further information
Enquiries can be directed to Plant Import Operations on 1800 900 090 or via email at imports@aff.gov.au (please title the subject line of the email with ‘Plant Tier 2 – Vegetable seeds import conditions’).