Importing Seeds

[chappo1970]

Will do Vertigo! I understand you want the fees etc. I will see what i can get out of him for ya. The problem is he is a grey nomad so it might take a wee bit of time.

 

[vertigo]

That would great to find out, one way or the other.

I think I have too much blood in my alcohol system?

I love that, can you get blood, or test of it? (joking) no reply needed. My medic say that I'm about at that stage. Kidneys are still in there..some where, I think!

 

[chappo1970]

Ok Vertigo,
The short and the skinny of it is don't even bother unless you plan to grow it commercially. The paper work and the costs for AQIS accessment and ensuing quarantine are going to exhaust your wallet. FIL says that plants in particular are next to impossible because of the potential threat and damage to native flora, fauna and more importantly existing commercial crops, especially if it is a new species in Australia. Even it it is here in Australia you need to be able to verify that those seeds are actually what you say they are and you have sourced them from an accredited supplier who guarantee the species delivery. He suggested hunting down, if there is someone who grows it locally, you are better to go that way than trying to import it yourself.
No he was involved in gun importation and accreditation for the last 10 years of his service but suggested that you are best dealing with AQIS who probably won't be overly helpful as they get 1000's of requests a week but persist with them if your that keen.

 

[vertigo]

FIL says that plants in particular are next to impossible because of the potential threat and damage to native flora, fauna and more importantly existing commercial crops, especially if it is a new species in Australia.

Well, its a packet of seeds. I wouldn't import plants, thats just to costly.

The short and the skinny of it is don't even bother unless you plan to grow it commercially.

It's not for a commercially avaiable market. I plan to sow 24 seeds and see what happens. Anyway most of them will likely die. I'll keep the strongest plants and destroy the rest.

(remember that we are talking about seeds, not plants)

Even it it is here in Australia you need to be able to verify that those seeds are actually what you say they are and you have sourced them from an accredited supplier who guarantee the species delivery.

that is f...ed up stuff, I'll grow them in a greenhouse. I burn anything that is dangerous as a rule of thumb.

 

[chappo1970]

OK your frustrated, I get that, but seed grows to plants, yes? So seed, plant no difference. Same, same. You will still need to be able to guarantee that those seeds are going to grow the plants you say they are. Get my drift? They could be any bloody seed/plant and it's near impossible to identify some plant species from their seeds apparently? I don't know, I'm not a biologist, I am a simple "salt of the earth" dumb as a bag of bricks builder. What I was told is unless you have a reliable accredited source that has done this before don't bother UNLESS you want to do it commercially because the costs are very probititive for the average Joe Blow. That's all, take what you will, I was merely trying to help.

 

[lczaban]

OK your frustrated, I get that, but seed grows to plants, yes? So seed, plant no difference. Same, same. You will still need to be able to guarantee that those seeds are going to grow the plants you say they are. Get my drift? They could be any bloody seed/plant and it's near impossible to identify some plant species from their seeds apparently? I don't know, I'm not a biologist, I am a simple "salt of the earth" dumb as a bag of bricks builder. What I was told is unless you have a reliable accredited source that has done this before don't bother UNLESS you want to do it commercially because the costs are very probititive for the average Joe Blow. That's all, take what you will, I was merely trying to help.

+1 If you are dead keen it would be wise to engage a customs broker. While this is a lot of money it is probably the simplest way of getting the seeds you need to into the country IMHO. These guys will know what the deal is and will have all the different contacts to make it happen. The odds are that this is going to cost a fortune anyway (otherwise commercial hop growers/dealers like some that post on this forum would be doing it), so you may as well spend your $'s and time effectively and get the experts working for you.

I still don't like you chances FWIW.... - my 2c

 

[vertigo]

Forget it, its too hard.

Gravity isn't a downward force - gravity sucks!

Is that meant to piss off someone! Because, your on the ground because of it "gravity sucks" I love gravity

 

[Bizier]

I love gravity

With a name like Vertigo?
No...

 

[chappo1970]

You got that dam right. I'm a very ambitous person, not much gets in my way. I will get back to you guys, if this works out ok.

4 1/2 hours later?

Forget it, its too hard...

Hmmm...

 

[Mantis]

I know for a fact that they will sieze seeds they are unsure of and its then up to you to prove what they are.
I've had tomato and pepper seeds held till I provided them with the full bontanical name
Now tomato seeds are banned altogether due to some potato virus the seeds can carry, and fair enough too.
I have over a hundred varieties now and many I havent tried yet.

Good luck with it all eh

 

[glenos]

generally to get a new species into Aus, possibly applies to a new variety too, you will import the plant/seed to quarantine, it will be grown and tested for viruses, then the seed collected original plant destroyed, off spring grown and tested, then it might be released, or you could face another generation.

And yes AQIS are very hard to deal with, I deal with them rofessionally and get a different answer to my clients regarding the need for a permit when importing waste from Australia bases in Antarctica, we treat it as quarrantine material, permit or otherwise.

 

[pdilley]

Frustrating I know but we don't want more cane toads even if the are green and have roots.

That said I'm frustrate as I had access to so many seed banks overseas.

 

[braufrau]

Seeds other than legumes and cereals are generally OK. Naughty seeds are not, e.g poppies may be confiscated.
I've sent seeds to myself from overseas to save myself the hassle of customs at the airpot. And people have sent me seeds from the US.

Here is the import conditions for seeds ...
linky

and here is the permitted seed list
linky

Unfortunately humulus is not on the list

 

[chappo1970]

Unfortunately humulus is not on the list

Yep that's because the act, importing rogue agriculture, itself can destroy the entire commercial industry. Not too long ago fire ants where illegally introduced (insects I know) but there was a citrus disease as well but the name escapes me.

but to paraphrase from AQIS
"It is the importers responsibility to identify and to ensure it has complied with, all requirements of any other regulatory and advisory bodies prior to and after importation including the Australian Customs Service, Therapeutic Goods Administration, Department of Health and Ageing, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority and any State agencies such as Departments of Agriculture and Health and Environmental Protection authorities"

Best of luck navigating that much red tape.

 

[glenos]

Naughty seeds are not, e.g poppies may be confiscated.

Poppy seeds are easy, we get them in at work, couple of kg at a time, even the morphine instead of the theabine variety. I have been told that a bag of poppy seeds from the supermarket sprinkled in soil will germinate a few plants, they are quite pretty flowers, I can't imagine why else you would want them.

We do grow lots of them down here, for the pharmaceutical industry.

From what I have heard the law take a dim view of possessing poppy plant material.

 

[braufrau]

Yep that's because the act, importing rogue agriculture, itself can destroy the entire commercial industry. Not too long ago fire ants where illegally introduced (insects I know) but there was a citrus disease as well but the name escapes me.

Did you read the list? And the act?

If seeds are on the list you can bring them in .. no permit, no red tape (but you have to check the list against the list of weed species).
And if you read the list you would see that there are many many "agricultural" seeds.
Fire ants don't live on seeds.

 

[braufrau]

Poppy seeds are easy, we get them in at work, couple of kg at a time, even the morphine instead of the theabine variety. I have been told that a bag of poppy seeds from the supermarket sprinkled in soil will germinate a few plants, they are quite pretty flowers, I can't imagine why else you would want them.

We do grow lots of them down here, for the pharmaceutical industry.

From what I have heard the law take a dim view of possessing poppy plant material.

Seeds of Papaver Somniferum are explicitly excluded from the list. So either your business has a permit or AQIS just don't care. Actually that's one of the seeds I've sent myself. Bread seed poppy is also P. somniferum. So perhaps it is worth trying to send hop seeds. You may just lose the seeds. According to the act, they will be re-exported or destroyed.

 

[HoppingMad]

:icon_offtopic: Large parts of tassie legally grow poppies for morphine for use in pain relief (hospitals etc) and have permits for it. In fact I believe Tassie grows more of this stuff than anywhere else. Remember seeing a program on it on the ABC and there was a lot of issues raised about how unsecured they were and how the poppies could get into the wrong hands and be cultivated by the wrong people - many are visible from the side of the road and easily accessible.

Hopper.

 

[pdilley]

Looks like tobacco is ok which is good. I have a few I'm looking at for herbicidal and insecticidal purposes. Grow, dry, soak in water and spray. Lower doses is insecticide, higher doses is herbicide and its natural and breaks down quickly and non-toxic. The use of this in the states was banned in certain cities in certain states because the Famous Chemical Poision Companies, oh staring with the letter D, etc., selling expensive poisions at your local stores like a Bunnings lobbied to get it made illegal because it works, is cheap and not a big harm to the environment I learned it from the same guy who showed you how spraying beer and soap mixtures onto your lawn will turn them into super lawns without having to spray the big nasty chemical company stuff.

Over the you even get giant barrels full of the hem p seed. Its been put through a "nuclear reactor" so none of them will germinate properly but you get them for birds to eat in those more fancy of the pet shops over there.

I am not sure what hops would be like but I would like to just get a rhizome chunk from someone local to your area so the plant is acclimatized and thriving like buggary in your local conditions. Thats why I don't want to look outside of Canberra for sourcing them.

 

[glenos]

Yeah, I'm in tassie, we test the seed for heavy metal contamination for the processors who extract the pharmaceuticals.

Like I said they do have the odd patch of paddock get emptied, its not all that common.

I'm not sure how much plant material you need to get a buzz, I would think it is quite a bit. Our resident stoner at work told me that the trick is to put a poppy head, still green, with some slits in the surface up yer bum. No thanks those things are big, 50mm across. :blink: