The Seed Marketing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Vegetable seed: supplier’s labels

24.—(1) A supplier’s label may be used on—

(a) a package of standard vegetable seed, no matter what the weight; and

(b) a small package of certified (CS) seed.

(2) A small package of certified (CS) vegetable seed is a package of certified (CS) seed that weighs no more than—

(a) for broad beans, French beans, runner beans and peas, 5 kilograms;

(b) for asparagus, beetroot, carrot, chard or spinach beet, gourd, marrow, onion, radish, spinach or turnip, 500 grams;

(c) for any other vegetable species, 100 grams.

(3) The label must be coloured dark yellow for standard seed or blue for certified seed.

(4) The following must appear on the label on a package of standard seed (other than a mixture of different varieties of standard seed of the same species) and certified seed—

(a) the words “EU rules and standards”;

(b) the name and address or identification number of the person affixing the label;

(c) the marketing year of the sealing or of the last examination of germination (the end of the marketing year may be indicated);

(d) the species;

(e) the variety;

(f) the category: in the case of small packages, certified seed may be marked with the letter “C” or “Z” and standard seed with the letters “ST”;

(g) in the case of standard seed, the reference number given by the person responsible for affixing the labels;

(h) in the case of certified seed, the reference number enabling the certified lot to be identified;

(i) the declared net or gross weight or declared number of seeds, except for small packages up to 500 grams;

(j) where the weight is indicated and granulated pesticides, pelleting substances or other solid additives are used, the nature of the additive and the approximate ratio between the weight of clusters or pure seeds and the total weight.

(5) The following must appear on the label on a package of a mixture of different varieties of standard seed of the same species—

(a) the words “EU rules and standards”;

(b) the name and address or identification number of the person affixing the label;

(c) the year of sealing expressed as “sealed ...[year]” or the year of last sampling for the purpose of the last testing for germination expressed as “sampled ...[year]”, (the words “use before ...[date]” may be added);

(d) the words “mixture of varieties of ...[name of the species]”;

(e) the varieties;

(f) the proportion of the varieties, expressed as net weight or as the number of seeds;

(g) the reference number given by the person responsible for affixing the labels;

(h) the net or gross weight or the number of seeds;

(i) where the weight is indicated and granulated pesticides, pelleting substances or other solid additives are used, the nature of the additive and the approximate ratio between the weight of clusters or pure seeds and the total weight.