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Puyallup, WA

Geneva Emmons has learned that there have been changes in the regulations when mailing seed to another country. She was addressing a Canadian grower with these specific remarks.

"As of January 1, 2003, there is a new regulation by the Department of Agriculture prohibiting entry of any propagating material without a phytosanitary certificate.
I just spoke with Olaf about this. He thinks it may be as simple as attaching the appropriate 'paperwork' to the outside of the package. You would need to get in touch with your government authority to obtain this. He said that it might be necessary to have an agricultural agent visit your place to determine that you are not producing anything noxious. Olaf said that there are some ridiculous requirements.
I discovered last year that seeds need to have the botanical name on the customs slip to easily enter Australia. The AU government placed the seeds in quarantine and emailed me a couple dozen pages explaining their regulations. The seeds got to their destination after I signed a declaration that they were cucurbita maxima seeds!
The USPS has not been 100% successful (with the enforcement of this new law) as I have received seeds from Canada and Europe in 2003."

2/14/2003 4:22:04 PM

Montoursville, PA

Another useless law that will not and can not be brought into enforcement. Isn't worth the paper it is written on! In Pennsylvania there are learned lists of invasive plants that are not to come into the state. The states own nursery programs are raising some of them and still planting them. There is no commercial nursery enforcement for many of them in state let alone out of state shipping instate. We have a gazillion laws to protect the Chesapeake Bay through out the watershed in half a dozen states. The states own fish hatcheries are the worst offenders in stream destruction with high nitrates.

A lowly pumpkin seed is now regulated. Great! So what! If a package gets stopped in shipment simply send another. You will save time and money. Commercial shipments are already
properly documented or will be when the squash growers feel they can stop pumpkin growing and introduce the law. Money to enforce it will never be a goes with. It is illegal to call a pumpkin pie made with sweet potatoes a pumpkin pie. So what? It's still a heck of a good pie.

I wonder what law we will have to assure no pumpkin fed and treated with questionable chemicals does not find its way into the Twinkies Bakery production line. That would definitely effect my maintenance food line. ]:o)

2/14/2003 5:49:42 PM

Rush, NY

A few years back a local Postal worker told me I had to attach CUSTOMS-CN 22 (Senders Declaration) to Bubble packs with seeds sent to Canada. I did it for a few years. Last year a different Postal worker told me it was not required if under 2 ounces, which they always are. I have not attached CN-22 since that and none were returned.

2/15/2003 7:37:54 AM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

I've sent a packet with some pumpkin and chili seeds to a guy who suffered a tremendous fire in his farm in Australia, and it was keeped in quarantine till I sent a e-mail with all the scientific names of the 9 different seeds I sent there. There are some very very smart people making laws as it is able to see.
WHY ON EARTH a tomato, chili and pumpkin seed with latin name is safer to enter in Australia than without it???
Maybe they thought that a seed with no name can grow rabbits!
Don

2/15/2003 2:29:39 PM

Puyallup, WA

LOL....Thanks, Carlos!

2/15/2003 7:09:40 PM