Australia
Seed potatoes (updated 18 June 2019)
The importation of potatoes into Australia is generally prohibited.
Microplants or seed tubers may be allowed in small quantities, but an import permit will be required which will state the exact import conditions.
Microplants in tissue culture
The microplants must have been grown under sterile conditions and must be free from disease symptoms and other extraneous contamination.
Other requirements
- Import permit: required
- Packaging: Transport receptacles must be sterile and rigid and must be of a visually clear construction to allow inspection of the cultures and medium. Labels must not obscure the view on the microplants or medium
- Growth medium: must be clear, sterile and not liquid, must have been introduced into the containers prior to tissue implantation and growth, must be free from extraneous contamination and not contain antibiotics or other microbial suppressants
Procedures on arrival
Importers must make suitable arrangements with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) for any post-entry quarantine facilities prior to goods arriving.
The material is subject to inspection on arrival and treatment if necessary.
Tissue cultures will be de-flasked and grown in closed quarantine at a government post-entry quarantine facility for a minimum of six months with virus indexing and disease screening.
Additional declarations to be inserted on the reverse of phytosanitary certificate for microplants
- The transport receptacles and growth media used for these microplants are sterile.
- The growth media were introduced into the containers prior to tissue implantation and growth.
- The microplants and growth media were visually inspected and found free from disease symptoms and other extraneous contamination.
- The growth media do not contain antibiotics or other microbial suppressants.