Decree N.1062/1 of 2012 on conditions to import potato seeds for the 2012-2013 season

Lebanese Republic Ministry of Agriculture Decree Nr 1062/1 conditions to import potato seeds for the 2012-2013 season The Minister of Agriculture, Based on Decree Nr 5818 dated 3.6.2011 (forming of the Government) Based on Decree Nr 5246 dat dated 18 ed 20.6.1994 (organization of the Ministry of Agriculture) Based on Law Nr 31.01.1955 (specifying the role of the Ministry of Agriculture) Based on Law Nr 778 dated 28.11.2006 (Plant Quarantine & Phytosanitary Measures) Based on Decree Nr 24/1 dated 19.1.2010 (Forming of a committee to improve the potato crop) Based on the study established by the Agricultural Resources Directorate on 1.11.2012 under Nr 4942/4 Based on the recommendation of the Director General of Agriculture Decrees the following : Article 1: Import of potato seeds for the 2012-2013 season is allowed within the conditions and specifications stated in the following articles Seed potatoes for the 2011-2012 season are allowed to be imported from the following countries : NETHERLANDS, GERMANY, FRANCE, UNITED KINGDOM, IRELAND, SCOTLAND, CANADA(Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick), BELGIUM, LUXEMBOURG, DENMARK, AUSTRIA. Article 2 : Import period of the potato seeds is fixed as from 1st December 2012 until 1st February 2013 inclusive Article 3 : It is allowed only to import the varieties listed in Annex 1. Article 4 : It is allowed to import potato seeds within the following sizes : 28 - 35 mm and 35-55 mm. Article 5 : The potato seeds are imported according to the following specifications : 1- Soil in each bag should not exceed one per cent of the net weight and the potato seeds tubers should be fully mature with all the characteristics of the variety 2- The tubers should be complete and not damaged by insects or machines, with mechanical damage not to exceed 2% of the number of tubers per each bag. 3- Sprouts on the tubers should not exceed 15 mm – applicable for not more than 20% of tubers in the each bag. 4- The tubers should be treated with an agricultural fungicide. 5- The seed should be of the 2012 year’s production 6- The bags should be jute bags, same size, clean, new and not used, The weight of a bag should be 25kg or 50 kg sealed by the official authorities in the country of origin. 7- Each bag should contain, on the outside, a label or “étiquette” from the official authorities in the country of origin containing the following information: species, variety, class, size, net weight, origin, year of production, grower's number, bagging date and a statement that the tubers are treated with an agricultural fungicide and mention the name of the fungicide used. Article 6: Potato seeds are allowed to be imported only in selected Class Super Elite and/or Class Elite. Article 7 : Every potato seeds shipment should be accompanied by the following certificates to be presented to the inspection committee formed by the Minister of Agriculture as mentioned in Article 11 of this decree : 1- Original phytosanitary certificate – a copy of same is not accepted – to state that the shipment is free from Quarantine diseases mentioned in Annex (2) and tubers are treated with fungicides. An additional declaration for Phytosanitary Certificate is required indicating that the consignment comply with percentage of diseases mentioned in Annex (3). The additional declaration of the phytosanitary certificate should include the following statement: “The potato seeds are produced in an area free from Synchytrium endobioticum (sholb) and Ralstonia Solanacerum for at least five years and from Clavibacter michiganensis for at least three years 2- Certificate of origin or EUR.1 certificate or certificate from an approved exporter authorized by customs. 3- Certificate mention that producer or exporter of tubers is specialized in production or exportation of potato seeds. 4- Original Certificate attesting that potato seeds imported are produced under the control of the NPPO or the Body nominated by the official authority, and the norms and standards of consignment is equivalent to this decree 5- A register/report of the temperature of the container or vessel during all the shipping period. 6- A list showing the growers names in the country of origin and their growing regions and their numbers on the labels Article 8 : Potato seeds can be imported into Lebanon through following borders: Beirut Port and Tripoli Port. Article 9 : The Potato seeds are allowed to be imported; 1- In reefer containers stowed on pallets covered with a suitable mesh (net) cover. 2- In reefer vessels according to the following conditions: a) Stowed on pallets covered with a suitable mesh (net) cover. b) The content of each pallet is for one single farmer. c) The vessel will be unloaded in layers. It is forbidden to unload any layer before the previous layer in inspected and the lab results are issued and are acceptable. Article 10 : Each importer should inform the Potato seeds inspection committee stated in Article 11 about each seed consignment’s arrival, at least 3 days before its arrival to the border point, as well as about any change which might occur in the arrival date. Article 11 : The Potato seeds consignments are inspected as follows: 1- In Lebanese border points: By a committee to be appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, and called “Potato seeds inspection committee”. This committee has the right to control, inspect and reject any consignment not in conformity with the technical conditions stated in this decree. In case of any quantity or shipment’s rejection, it is re exported at the importing company’s expenses 2- The committee has to take Potato seeds samples and submit them to laboratory analysis ( for Quarantine Diseases – Brown Rot & Ring Rot ) at the laboratory of the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, or any other laboratory the committee sees appropriate, all this at the importer’s expenses. No clearing of the imported seed potatoes from the Customs premises is allowed before the laboratory analysis results are obtained and thus getting the committee’s approval. 3- Any company or party proved to have imported seed not in conformity with the specifications required or not according to the class specified or showing that the accompanying documents are not fit to reality, such an infringing company or party is bound for appropriate penalties. Article 12 : To facilitate the inspection operations and supervision before and after planting operations, the importers of Potato seeds should supply the Plant Resources Directorate in the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture a list covering the names of the Lebanese farmers to whom the Potato seeds quantity has been distributed, together with the growers numbers of the potato seeds in the country of origin as stated on the labels (“étiquettes”), and that before the first of March 2013 for Farmers of Akkar and before the first of May 2013 for Farmers of Bekaa. The importers who do not abide by this rule will be forbidden to import in the coming season. Article 13: The necessary legal measures will be taken against whoever does not abide by the conditions of this decree, Article 14 : It is canceled any text coming in contradiction with the content of this decree Article 15: This decree will be published in the official journal and comes into force upon its issuance and notified wherever needed Beiruton 2/11/2012 Minister of Agriculture Dr. Hussein ElHage Hassan Copies to be notified to : Presidency of the Council of Ministers Official Journal Central Inspection Council Agricultural Inspection Ministry of Economy and Trade Ministry of Foreign Affairs Customs High Council Customs General Directorate Lebanese Institute of Agronomical Research Chamber of Trade, Industry, and Agriculture Agricultural Resources Directorate Central and regional agricultural units Agricultural quarantine points Importing companies Members of the committee to improve the potato crop Records Annex N : ( 1 ) Potato Seeds Varieties Allowed to be Imported for the Season 2012 - 2013 Variety Name اسم الصنف Agata أغاتا Agria أغريا Alaska أالسكا Albata ألباتا Algeria ألجيريا Almera ألميرا Arinda أريندا Arnova ارنوفا Asterix استيريكس Atlantic أتلنتيك Atlas أطلس Barchelona برشلونة Bellini بلليني Binella بينيال Burren بورين Cal white كول وايت Challenger شالنجر Chipody شيبودي Courage كوراج Daifla دايفال Daisy دايزي Diamant ديامونت Disco ديسكو Draga دراغا Eloodie ايلودي Emma ايما Everest فرستا Fabula فابوال Faluka فالوكا Folva فولفا Fontane فونتين Fridor فريدور Hanna حنا Hermes هرمس Innovator اينوفايتر Jelly جيلي Kennebec كينيبيك Kentia كنيتا Lady Lenora اليدي لينورا Lady Olympia اليدي أولمبيا Lady rosetta اليدي روزيتا Liseta ليسيتا Marabel مارابيل Marfona مارفونا Markies ماركيز Marlen مارلين Melody ميلودي Miss Bianka مس بيانكا Miss Malina مس مالينا Mustang موستينغ Nicola نيكوال Oceana اوسيانا Orchestra أوركسترا Orla اورال Quincy كوينسي Remarka ريماركا Royal ويالر Rubis روبي Safari سفاري Safrane سفران Sagitta ساجيتا Santana سانتانا Savanna سافانا Sifra سيفرا Slaney سالني Spunta سبونتا Sylvana سيلفانا Tango تانغو Toros توروس Triplo تريبلو Victoria فكتوريا Vivaldi فيفالدي Vivi فيفي Zorba زوربا Brook بروك Snowden سنودان Andover اندوفر Diego دييغو Universa اونيفرسا Florice فلوريس Annex No : (2 ) Quarantine pest List Diseases Latin Name Scientific Name Insects Leptinotarsa decemlineata Colorado potato beetle Phthorimaea operculella Potato tuber moth Papilla japonica Japanese beetle Asproparthenis punctiventris Sugar beet weevil Nematodes Ditylenchus destructor Potato Rot Nematode Ditylenchus dipsaci Stem and bulb nematode Globodera pallida White potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis Golden nematode Meloidogyne spp. Root knot nematode Fungal Diseases Helminthosporium solani Silver scurf Phoma foveata Potato gangrene Phytophthora cryptogea Tomato foot rot Phytophthora erythroseptica var. erythroseptica Pink tuber rot Synchytrium endobioticum Wart disease of potato Bacterial Diseases Burkholderia gladioli pv. gladioli Corm scab Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus Potato ring rot Erwinia chrysanthemi pv. chrysanthemi Bacterial wilt of Dahlia spp. Erwinia carotovora subsp. Atroseptica (Pectobacterium atrosepticum) Black leg Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora Soft rot Pseudomonas marginalis pv. marginalis Lettuce marginal leaf blight Ralstonia solanacearum Brown rot Viroides PSTVd Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid Annex No : 3 Regulated Non-quarantine pests List Diseases Latin Name Scientific Name Maximum Percentage accepted Super Elite Elite Viruses PVY, PVA, PVX, PVM, PVS and PLRV Potato Virus Y, A, X, M, S and Potato Leaf Roll Virus 57.0 % 1 % Fungal Diseases Fusarium spp. Fusarium dry rot less than 0.5% Verticillium spp. Verticillium wilt Phytophthora infestans Late blight Alternaria solani Early blight Polyscytalum pustulans Skin spot Less than 5% of the total tubers. And the tuber is considered infected when the infection is over 10% of its area Rhizoctonia solani Black scurf Spongospora subterranea Powdery Scab 33% of tubers are free and. And the tubers infected in the 66% do not exceed 4-2 slight wounds covering an area less than 1/16 of the tuber area Helminthosporium solani Silver scurf No any single tuber wrinkled Bacterial Diseases Streptomyces scabies Common scab 33% of tubers are free and. And the tubers infected in the 66% do not exceed 4-2 slight wounds covering an area less than 1/16 of the tuber area