Anyone know what restrictions there are with regard to importing seeds into the UK?

Yes, go to the government's DEFRA website for info:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/impexp.htm



"Paul Anderson" wrote in message
...
Anyone know what restrictions there are with regard to importing seeds
into the UK?

In article , Joanne
writes
Yes, go to the government's DEFRA website for info:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/impexp.htm

I've crawled through that site before, and it basically concerns trade
rather than import of wild seeds for ones own use. I've phoned DEFRA,
and they were distinctly vague, referring me only to the CITES info,
which again is trade.

Twenty years ago, you could get a licence which allowed import of a
small amount of plant material for you own use, provided it was not any
of a number of endangered species or plants material rather than seed of
something that was likely to carry particular diseases. But I don't know
if that system is still in place, and haven't managed to find out any
information.


"Paul Anderson" wrote in message
t...
Anyone know what restrictions there are with regard to importing seeds
into the UK?



--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Joanne said the following on 30/08/2004 16:54:

Yes, go to the government's DEFRA website for info:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/impexp.htm



"Paul Anderson" wrote in message
...

Anyone know what restrictions there are with regard to importing seeds

into the UK?


Been there and gave up. It's written in Double Dutch Latin. I'm want to import some chili
seeds but can't find a simple answer on the site.

Paul.

Been there and gave up. It's written in Double Dutch Latin. I'm want to
import some chili seeds but can't find a simple answer on the site.

Translation You need to ensure the seeds are generally permitted and have a
certificate to that effect. There a phone number on the site. Give them a
ring and ask them.

"Paul Anderson" wrote
Yes, go to the government's DEFRA website for info:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/impexp.htm


Been there and gave up. It's written in Double Dutch Latin. I'm want to
import some chili
seeds but can't find a simple answer on the site.

Paul, try this link which I think should help:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ille...nal_plants.PDF

Regards,

"Paul Anderson" wrote
Been there and gave up. It's written in Double Dutch Latin. I'm want to
import some chili seeds but can't find a simple answer on the site.



Paul and Kay, try this link which I think will help:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ille...nal_plants.PDF

It gives information for personal imports for travellers. Coincidentally,
just this morning I arrived back from holidays and I actually went through
the "Red Gate" and asked the Customs about importing plant cuttings and
seeds from a EU country. Customs said there was no restriction on the plant
cuttings I had brought back with me.

The link is at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ille...nal_plants.PDF

Regards,

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 16:38:55 +0100, Paul Anderson
wrote:

Anyone know what restrictions there are with regard to importing seeds into the UK?

I get seeds from S. Africa for my own use with out giving regulations
a thought. They come in small, easily openable (i.e. not sealed)
packages with a green Customs Declaration label, saying 'seeds'. Never
had any query.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

In article , Joanne
writes
"Paul Anderson" wrote
Been there and gave up. It's written in Double Dutch Latin. I'm want to
import some chili seeds but can't find a simple answer on the site.



Paul and Kay, try this link which I think will help:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ille...nal_plants.PDF

Brilliant! Well done for finding that.

I traced the links back to see where I had gone wrong in my search for
information - I must admit it hadn't occurred to me to follow a link to
'animal welfare' followed by one on 'import of animal products' in my
search for limits on plant import. I think you must have an extremely
devious mind ;-) Either that, or much better Google skills than I have.


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article , Paul
Anderson writes
Joanne said the following on 30/08/2004 16:54:

Yes, go to the government's DEFRA website for info:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/impexp.htm



"Paul Anderson" wrote in message
...

Anyone know what restrictions there are with regard to importing seeds

into the UK?


Been there and gave up. It's written in Double Dutch Latin. I'm want to import
some chili
seeds but can't find a simple answer on the site.

I do recommend Joanne's second url - it's all there - whether you can
import seeds/bulbs/bits of plant from EU/other Europe/rest of World.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article , Peter Crosland
writes
Been there and gave up. It's written in Double Dutch Latin. I'm want to
import some chili seeds but can't find a simple answer on the site.

Translation You need to ensure the seeds are generally permitted and have a
certificate to that effect. There a phone number on the site. Give them a
ring and ask them.

I've done that and it's hopeless.

Joanne's first url is concerned with trade. Her second url is for small
quantities in personal baggage for the traveller's own use, and is far
more liberal than you suggest.



--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Kay"
Paul and Kay, try this link which I think will help:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ille...nal_plants.PDF

it hadn't occurred to me to follow a link to
'animal welfare' followed by one on 'import of animal products' in my
search for limits on plant import. I think you must have an extremely
devious mind ;-) Either that, or much better Google skills than I have.


The first URL I mentioned had a link to "Imports" from whence there was a
link to "Travellers Concessions" from whence a link to "Guidance". Maybe my
mind works like the brilliant minds (?!) of the civil servants in our
Government. A frightening thought that has only just occurred to me (I
worked in government service for 20 years (although not the UK government)).

Yesterday I brought back papyrus seeds, and cuttings from pomegranate and
capers. The capers had lovely flowers similar to passionflower. I'll pot
the cuttings in my greenhouse and see what happens. Unfortunately, both
plants are extremely thorny but I don't expect them to grow much, if at all,
in our climate.

Anyway, glad I was of help.

Regards.

In message , Paul
Anderson writes
Joanne said the following on 30/08/2004 16:54:

Yes, go to the government's DEFRA website for info:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/impexp.htm
"Paul Anderson" wrote in
message
...

Anyone know what restrictions there are with regard to importing
seeds
into the UK?

Been there and gave up. It's written in Double Dutch Latin. I'm want to
import some chili seeds but can't find a simple answer on the site.

Import from where? The rules allow import of small quantities of seed in
commercial sealed packaging from almost anywhere in the world. I have
never had any problems bring back seeds from abroad.

There are tight restrictions on Cites listed plant seed. But that never
seems to stop them being sold across national borders.

Plants can be a real nightmare since the cost of phytosanitary
certificates, paperwork and inspection scales with the number of species
imported. A friend got caught out by some US grown "bargain" rare
plants.

The price he paid the nursery was a huge bargain, but after all of
officialdom had added their fees they were *very* expensive.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown

I attended a talk many years ago given a representative of a major seed
company .
Most commercial seeds were not then grown in the UK, I guess this is still
the case.
I now forget a lot of the detail the talk was given in the 1970s
The US was a major supplier of flower seeds, New Zealand for peas and beans,
Morocco another major source.
Brasicca seeds were grown in Essex- the only UK mention!

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
In message , Paul
Anderson writes
Joanne said the following on 30/08/2004 16:54:

Yes, go to the government's DEFRA website for info:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/impexp.htm
"Paul Anderson" wrote in
message
...

Anyone know what restrictions there are with regard to importing
seeds
into the UK?

Been there and gave up. It's written in Double Dutch Latin. I'm want to
import some chili seeds but can't find a simple answer on the site.

Import from where? The rules allow import of small quantities of seed in
commercial sealed packaging from almost anywhere in the world. I have
never had any problems bring back seeds from abroad.

There are tight restrictions on Cites listed plant seed. But that never
seems to stop them being sold across national borders.

Plants can be a real nightmare since the cost of phytosanitary
certificates, paperwork and inspection scales with the number of species
imported. A friend got caught out by some US grown "bargain" rare
plants.

The price he paid the nursery was a huge bargain, but after all of
officialdom had added their fees they were *very* expensive.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown