Potato Imports

IMPORT OF SEED AND WARE POTATOES TO SCOTLAND

Please be aware of a new statutory pre-import notification requirements, which will come into force on 9 February 2013, concerning the import of ware potatoes to Scotland from Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain.

These changes are in addition to the notification requirements already in place for seed potatoes and also ware from Poland. They recognise the plant health situation in these Member States and the potential increase in imports from these regions following the poor UK harvest in 2012.

These new measures will help protect Scotland and the UK's plant health status. Similar arrrangements are already in place in England.

 

SUMMARY OF IMPORT REQUIREMENTS

ORIGIN

 

REQUIREMENTS

 

SEED Poland Pre-import  notification and an official ring rot test certificate

SEED

All non-Scottish Pre-import notification and a plant passport/official certificate
SEED All non-EU

PROHIBITED, except from Switzerland where equivalent measures to those for EU countries are in place

WARE Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey

If importing directly through a Scottish port contact: hort.marketing@gov.scot for information on requirements.

For Egyptian ware notification requirements see below.

WARE   

 Poland

Pre-import notification, official ring rot test certificate and a registration number

WARE Portugal, Romania and Spain Pre-import notification and a registration number
WARE Other EU countries and Switzerland Registration number
WARE Other non-EU countries PROHIBITED

 

 

NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

At least 48 hours prior to the intended date of introduction into Scotland of the potatoes, the importer must supply the following details to their local RPID Area Office:

  • the proposed time, date and means of introduction of the potatoes;
  • the proposed point of entry into Scotland;
  • the porposed destination and use;
  • the variety;
  • the quantity;
  • the producer's identification number or reference number of the lot.

 

POLAND

Due to high levels of ring rot outbreaks in Poland the Scottish Government is extending the pre-import notification requirement for Poland. Polish seed and ware potatoes must now be accompanied at the time of import into Scotland by a Ring Rot test certificate issued by the Polish Plant Health Authority. Although it will not be a requirement for Polish consignments to be accompanied by the certificate after import, it is important that the certificate is retained following import to demonstrate the compliance with the new requirements. 

 

PORTUGAL, SPAIN and ROMANIA

The Scottish Government is extending the pre-import notification requirement to ware potatoes from above Member States. This is in response to the Epitrix (flea beetle) situation in Portugal and Spain (there was a voluntary notification arrangement already in place) and the number of Ring Rot outbreaks in Romania.

 

EGYPT

Ware imports are prohibited unless the potatoes are grown in an area recognised by EC as being free from the Brown Rot bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum and are accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate which must comply with detailed plant health conditions. Companies wishing to pack, wash or otherwise process Egyptian potatoes are required to apply to their local RPID Area Office for annual authorisation to handle potatoes from this country (please contact AO for further details). Import of Egyptian ware potatoes are subject to testing for Brown Rot, the fee for this must be paid by the importer.

 

Further information on the notifications is available on the Scottish Government's Potato Health Controls' page. See also the guide: "Defending your potato crop against disease: a guide for ware growers".