New program to ensure grain quality

23/8/07
Agriculture and Food Minister Kim Chance today announced a new affordable, low cost seed quality management system available to seed companies and farmers providing assurance of grain variety and quality of field crop species.
Mr Chance said the SureSeed^TM Program was developed jointly by the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia and Primary Industries and Resources, South Australia in response to industry demand for a single accreditation standard for bulk or bagged seed across southern Australia.
"Australian farmers have long recognised the importance of sowing high quality seed in their programs," Mr Chance said.
"The SureSeed^TM Program uses quality assurance principles together with procedures and standards based on those of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development seed schemes, to produce seed of known varietal identity and purity."
Mr Chance said SureSeed^TM would replace the existing Registered Field Crop Scheme in WA.
"Primarily it provides a framework for farmers and seed companies to demonstrate the production of seed that is true to its variety of known physical quality and identifies the presence of weed seeds and nominated seed-borne diseases," he said.
"The program will operate where seed companies and farmers apply to join, having been able to provide Plant Breeders Rights authorisation, the location of the crop, previous paddock history and adjoining crops of similar species.
"Crops are inspected by accredited SureSeed^TM inspectors at appropriate times of the season, and then the seed is tested at harvest.
"After seed purity, germination, weed seed identification and other tests are completed a 'Statement of Seed Analysis' headed 'SureSeed^TM Program' will be issued by the agency conducting the testing.
"The Statement of Seed Analysis is the primary document that buyers will use to determine that the quality of the seed meets their needs, particularly where seed is sold in bulk."
The Minister said whilst the primary purpose of the program was to better service the needs of the seed industry, it also provided enhanced biosecurity measures for the State and individual producers.
"Using quality seed is a critical component of a clean production system," he said.
Mr Chance said seed quality assurance schemes also reduced the risk of serious varietal contamination, as new varieties are multiplied from a small amount of breeder's seed into the thousands of tonnes required by industry.
"Millions of dollars may be lost to industry when new variety releases are delayed as its advantages are not realised," he said.
Seed tests are conducted in accordance with the rules of the International Seed Testing Association and Sureseed^TM is sold in accordance with the Australian Seeds Federation Code of Practice for Labelling and Marketing of Seed and the WA Seeds Act.
For more information on the new SureSeed^TM Program contact Department of Agriculture and Food's AGWEST Plant Laboratories on 9368 3721 or visit http://www.agric.wa.gov.au
Minister's Office: - 9213 6700