The Seed Potatoes Regulations 1991

PART I

1.  On receipt of an application for classification of any seed potatoes, an authorised officer shall allocate to the person making such application a number to be known as “producer’s identification number”.

2.  In order to determine the class into which seed potatoes should be placed the seed potatoes shall be examined by an authorised officer and such examination shall be known as an official examination. Subject to paragraph 3 of this Schedule the authorised officer shall issue a certificate stating the results of the examination.

3.  A certificate may be refused in respect of any seed potatoes where an authorised officer is not satisfied in respect of any of the following matters:–

(a) the seed potatoes are of a variety for the time being listed in the National List published in accordance with the Seeds (National Lists of Varieties) Regulations 1982(1) or in the Common Catalogue of varieties of seed potatoes published in the Official Journal of the European Communities and which has not been notified in writing by the Minister as being considered unacceptable for classification;

(b) the seed potatoes are or were grown and stored so as to minimise the risk of contamination by such harmful diseases or pests as notified in writing by the Minister from time to time;

(c) the land on which the seed potatoes are growing or were grown has not been declared to be land on which Wart Disease (Synchytrium endobioticum (Schilb.) Perc.) is present under article 15(4) of the Plant Health (Great Britain) Order 1987(2) and has not been deemed in terms of article 15(5) of that order to be part of a safety zone for the purpose of that order;

(d) blanking in any of the growing crop of the seed potatoes is not or was not excessive;

(e) roguing of the growing crop of the seed potatoes has been carried out and the growing crop has not been over-rogued;

(f) all reasonable husbandry practices for the prevention of the occurence, development or spread of pests and diseases have been effectively carried out.

(1)

S.I. 1982/844, amended by S.I. 1985/1529, 1989/1314 and 1990/1353.

(2)

S.I. 1987/1758, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.