CERTIFICATES ON SEED-EXPORTS TO CANADA.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXXI, Issue 6, 21 December 1925, Page 419

CERTIFICATES ON SEED-EXPORTS TO CANADA.

The New Zealand Official Seed-testing Station has been authorized by the Canadian Department of Agriculture to issue certificates to the effect that parcels of seed to be imported into Canada comply with the minimum requirements of the Canadian Seeds Act, 1923.

New Zealand exporters are advised to take full advantage of these new provisions which entirely remove any possibility of the refusal of entry at a Canadian port. Samples should be forwarded direct to the New Zealand station with the specified request that the seed be tested and certified to conform with the Canadian Seeds Act. Representative samples ■of 1J oz. to 2 oz. of clovers and 2 oz. to 4 oz. of grass-seeds will be necessary for the analyses. Grading under the Canadian regulations cannot be undertaken here, as this may be done only by .a Canadian Seed Inspector. Exporters may receive advice as to the possible grading of their shipments, but no certificate to that effect may be issued.

Check tests of all shipments allowed entry into Canada under a foreign certificate will be made in Canada. If the actual shipment should be inferior to the certificate a sample of the seed will be forwarded to the station issuing the certificate for comparison and check test. Any exporters found to be acting in bad faith would thereafter be denied the privilege of having seeds released from bond without previous examination.

It is hoped that in due course other countries will take similar steps towards facilitating international seed trading.