By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent
 
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Seed companies around the world gained a little time when the Brazilian government decided to postpone implementation of a regulation involving seed imports. But time is all.

Without changes, the regulation, Normative 36, will go into effect, with devastating consequences – that’s according to Ric Dunkle, senior director for seed health and trade at the American Seed Trade Assoc. (ASTA).
“This regulation just came out of the clear blue sky last January,” Dunkle said.
He explained Brazil released Norm 36 without giving anyone the chance to comment on it. He said the agriculture department there didn’t even tell anyone about the new rule; instead, it attached the new requirements to permits it issues.

The regulation would require laboratory testing of every shipment of seed where there is a pest concern on Brazil’s part. It would require the exporting country to test the shipment of seed itself, which could be as small as a 50-pound bag. After the exporting country tests it, Brazilian authorities would test it too, and pass the cost of their test onto the company exporting the product to Brazil.

According to the ABCSEM, a Brazilian seed trade association, Norm 36 would affect dozens of countries that export seed to Brazil, and hundreds of seed products. Dunkle said many countries export seed to the United States, which then re-exports the seed to other countries, including Brazil.

Further, Brazil relies on imported seeds for its agricultural economy, especially in the areas of flowers and vegetables. “The vegetable seed business is very significant,” he said.

Dunkle also stated that “theoretically,” every bunch of seeds has to be tested by a laboratory to make sure it’s free of arthropod pests; normally, though, most countries accept field inspections for pests.

“It’s rare that countries will lab-test every consignment coming in,” he said.
In early March, Brazil issued a one-year delay in the new regulations. For the U.S., there are 118 different seed species that would be affected by the rule. Dunkle said he doesn’t understand the motivations behind the new regulation; he’s heard that new personnel in Brazil’s agriculture department are responsible for the rule.

“We’ve been trading seed with them for over 50 years,” he said. “This barrier is causing a real problem. This could cause significant problems for our companies. Brazilian farmers rely on this seed, as well.

“Basically, we have a year to work all of this out. If they go back to the original Normative 36, nobody’s going to be shipping seed to Brazil.
“We don’t know what the motive is, we really don’t. It’s just hitting all seed sectors for seeds that go to Brazil. Maybe it’s a good faith effort on their part, but it’s so draconian it’s going to halt all seed trade to Brazil,” Dunkle said.