Lucerne to Japan

Medicago sativa (stock feed)

Common Name: Lucerne/Alfalfa

Conditions: Phytosanitary import permit not required. Phytosanitary certificate required.

Note: the following grass species are prohibited:

• Agropyron spp.   Couch
• Hordeum spp.    Barley
• Oryza spp.         Rice
• Secale spp.        Rye
•  Triticum spp.     Wheat

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Japan General Requirements

General Information

For enquires about this standard email the Plant Exports Team:

plantexports@maf.govt.nz

To help Exports process your email please record in the subject line of your email descriptive keywords which are relevant to your enquiry i.e. ICPR enquiry-Country-specific details.

For urgent enquiries phone or fax the Plant Exports Team

Telephone: 0800 008 333 (selecting option 3, then option 4)
Fax: 64 4 894 0733

Scope

This standard specifies Japan’s phytosanitary requirements for the stated commodities and commodity classes only. If a commodity class is not listed under Commodity Class Requirements or Commodity Specific Requirements exporters should contact:

• Japan directly to ascertain requirements refer Phytosanitary Import Permits 

or

• MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (Plant Exports) (MAFBNZ). Please note the determination of phytosanitary requirements is undertaken on a cost recovery basis.

Users of this document are strongly advised to review all sections of the ICPR for the determination of a commodity's phytosanitary requirements.

Phytosanitary Legislation

The following legislation controls the importation of plants and plant materials into Japan:

• Plant Protection Law (1950)
• Plant Protection Law Enforcement Regulations (1950)
•  Import Quarantine Rules (1950)

General Requirements

Prohibitions

The commodities identified within the table below are prohibited entry from New Zealand.

Commodities identified with an asterisk* may be exported under specific access protocols / programmes. For further information on programme requirements contact Plant Exports Team.

Phytosanitary Import Permits

Phytosanitary import permits are not generally required. Prior permission from Japan MAFF is required for the import of prohibited commodities

Phytosanitary conditions of import may be requested from:

Plant Protection Division
Agricultural Production Bureau
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
1-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-8950
JAPAN

Tel:    81 3 3502 5303
Fax:    81 3 3591 6640

Website: www.pps.go.jp or www.pps.go.jp/english/index.html

Phytosanitary Certificates

Phytosanitary certificates are required to accompany all consignments of plants and plant material from New Zealand with the exception of specific commodities identified within Exclusions from Plant Quarantine.

Quarantine Pests

Maximum Pest Limits (MPLs)

For all commodities exported to Japan requiring phytosanitary certificates the MPL's are as follows:

Note: For fruits of apple, cherry, nectarine, tomatoes and capsicums and bulbs of lily or tulip, refer to specific access protocol requirements.

Non Propagative Materials (Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Cut Flowers and Foliage)	MPL to be applied
All plant pests including progressive rots but excluding organisms identified with ‘Specific Access Protocols’	5.0%
Organisms identified within ‘Specific Access Protocols’ for exports of fresh Apple, Cherry and Nectarine fruits	Refer Protocols
Organisms identified within Non Quarantine pests	Non Actionable
Soil	25g per 600 unit sample

Propagative Materials (Nursery Stock and Seed for Sowing)	MPL to be applied
All plant pests native to New Zealand and organisms identified within Quarantine pests	0.5%
All other plant pests including progressive rots	5.0%
Organisms as identified within ‘Specific Access Protocols’ for exports of  Lily and Tulip bulbs	Refer Protocols
Organisms identified within Non Quarantine pests	Non Actionable
Soil	25g per 600 unit sample

Ports of Entry

Inspection on Arrival

All plants and plant products are subject to inspection on arrival. Refer Sampling Rate.

Inspection Method (on arrival)

Bulbs

Bulbs are inspected visually for lesions, rots and other abnormalities. Where the causative pathogen can not be identified by visual symptoms, serological or culture tests will be undertaken. Bulbs of Gladioli spp. will have the outer coat removed for inspection.

Nursery Stock

Nursery stock is inspected visually. Media will be removed from roots (by shaking or washing).

Seed

Seeds are sampled and inspected for visible pests and for the presence of nematodes (Fenwick’s method) and seed chalcids (x-ray scanning). Any discoloured seeds identified during the initial inspection will be examined by the blotter method to identify the infecting pathogen.

Transit Requirements

All consignments require a phytosanitary certificate and a specific additional declaration where transiting another country en-route to Japan.  Consignments must be sealed to exclude pests of quarantine concern, and all openings must be covered with a net with a mesh size no bigger than 1.6 mm (diagonal measurement). If a consignment contains plant material that is a host to pests of quarantine concern (e.g. Mediterranean fruit fly) then it must remain completely packed (sealed) until the consignment is inspected by Japan MAFF.

The phytosanitary certificate must be endorsed with the following:

Additional declaration:

"The consignment was completely sealed in New Zealand"

or

"The ventilation holes in the package were pest proofed with nets in New Zealand"

Exporters are advised that a seal (paper or tape) should be placed over the openings in the packages or pallets to confirm that they have not been opened until arrival in Japan.

In addition, if the consignment is a host plant to the Citrus Burrowing Nematode (Radopholus citrophilus) or Tobacco Blue Mould (Peronospora tabacina), the contents of the package must be packed out of direct contact with other items, and kept in this condition until import inspected by Japan.

 Exclusions from Plant Quarantine

A phytosanitary certificate is not required to accompany the following commodities. Commodities will be inspected upon arrival.

• Dried fruit of common apricot, banana, date palm, fig, grape, jujube, longan, kiwifruit, mango, papaya, peach, pear, persimmon, pineapple, and plum
• Dried spices sealed in containers for retail
• Dried plants of turmeric and the genera Eucommia
• Dried seeds of almond, cashew, coconut, pepper, pistachio, Persian walnut and macadamia nut
• Fermented vanilla beans
• Granulated endocarps of coconut
• Fibrous products and course fibre (including raw cotton) that has not previously been used for packing plants or plant products, such as jute bag, cotton, cotton cloth, loofah products, paper, string and rope
• Manufactured products such as lumber, preserved logs, wood work, bamboo work and furniture
• Plant immersed in acetic or sulphurous acids, alcohol, sugar, salt etc.
• Processed tea, dried flowers of hops, and dried bamboo shoots
• Rattan and cork

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