Proposed changes to the Seeds for Sowing Import Health Standard

Consultation background

From 14 June to 27 July 2022 the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) sought comments on proposed changes to the Seeds for Sowing Import Health Standard (IHS) 155.02.05.

The proposed changes included:

• adding the option for small seed lots of species eligible to import under the specific requirements in the IHS for Capsicum (capsicum), Solanum (Solanum melongena only) (eggplant), Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), and Zea (corn) to be tested as composite samples for the presence of quarantine pests
• adding a phytosanitary certificate as a requirement for Raphanus sativus (radish) seeds for sowing
• adding the option for Phaseolus (bean) and Pisum (pea) seeds be tested for the presence of quarantine pests offshore prior to export
• adding Matthiola incana and Cyperus papyrus to the list of species approved for import as pelleted seed
• removing measures for the fungal pests Rhizopus maydis and Phaeocytostroma ambiguum on Zea (corn) seed, Cercospora loti on Lotus (lotus) seed, and Peronosclerospora sorghi and Sclerospora graminicola on Panicum (panicum) seed.

Full details of the proposed changes are in the consultation documents.

Consultation documents

Draft Seeds for Sowing (155.02.05) Import Health Standard [PDF, 2.7 MB]

Risk management proposal: Amendments to the Import Health Standard Seeds for Sowing [PDF, 24 MB] 

Steps to finalising the new IHS

After consultation on a draft IHS, MPI publishes a provisional IHS.

If you made a submission during the consultation, you have 10 working days to notify the Director-General of MPI that you intend to request an independent review. Reviews are limited to whether specific scientific evidence was given sufficient consideration.

If no review is requested within 10 working days, then the provisional IHS is confirmed and the final IHS is issued.

For more information about reviews refer to Section 24 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 – NZ Legislation

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

Legal background

MPI must consult with interested parties in accordance with section 23 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 (the Act) and MPI's consultation policy before issuing or amending (other than of minor or urgent nature) import health standards (IHS) under sections 24A and 24B of the Act.

An IHS specifies import requirements that must be met either in the country of origin or of export, or during transit, before biosecurity clearance can be given for the goods to enter New Zealand. MPI must ensure that these requirements are technically justified and provide an appropriate level of biosecurity protection.

Find out more

Steps to importing seeds for sowing