New irrigation systems for the production and sale of vegetable seeds

It was published this Thursday (19) in the Official Gazette of the Union, the Normative Instruction 42, which sets standards for the production and marketing of seeds and seedlings of vegetable (vegetable), condimentary, medicinal and aromatic species and their seed standards, valid throughout the national territory.

With the publication of the IN, as of March 31, 2020, Ordinance No. 457, which dealt with these products, is revoked. The standard creates an important framework for the regularization of informal and illegal production of seeds and seedlings from this group of species, allowing farmers access to legal propagation material.

The standard aims to guarantee the identity and quality of propagation material (seedlings and seeds) produced and made available, adapting the legislation to this group of plants, which were not adequately covered in previous standards (INs 9/2005 and 24/2005). It also aims to update seed standards for such species, through the repeal of Ordinance No. 457, of December 18, 1986. 

IN also guarantees the maintenance of traceability of batches of seeds and seedlings produced or repackaged, the service of the market and seed users who have specific requirements (packaging and others), the reduction of bureaucracy and the volume of documents involved and the regularization of informal and illegal production of seeds and seedlings, allowing farmers access to legal propagation material, produced in accordance with the recommendations of the National Seed and Seedling System (SNSM).

The topic was considered a priority for the Ministry, since the standards in force until then were not completely adapted to the system of production and commercialization of seeds and seedlings of vegetable, spice, medicinal and aromatic species. The requests of the productive sector for full regularization of their activities were also considered, with the creation of regulations suited to the dynamics and rapid cycle of most of these species.

Seeds and seedlings of vegetable, spice, medicinal and aromatic species present particularities in their production and commercialization process that are not compatible with the general standards for production and commercialization of seeds and seedlings currently in force.

Sector

The vegetable segment has seen significant growth in the country, being a market with high added value due to advances in genetics, technology, adaptability and quality of the product embedded in the seed or seedling. Currently, they account for 23% of the entries in the National Cultivar Registry, totaling approximately 9 thousand records of vegetable cultivars. The area cultivated in Brazil with vegetable and ornamental species is equivalent to more than 1 million hectares.

Imports of vegetable seeds correspond to 52,55% of the total value of seed imports from Brazil, purchases equivalent to US$ 72 million. As for exports of vegetable seeds, they correspond to 8,93% of the total value of seeds exported by Brazil, with an approximate value of exports from this group corresponding to US$ 15 million.

Brazil has great potential for the production of seeds and seedlings of these species, including with a view to foreign markets. In this sense, the simplification and de-bureaucratization of the processes and procedures for registering the production of seeds and seedlings, as well as the documentary requirements during the production process up to commercialization, could greatly contribute to the organization and growth of the seed and seedling sector. vegetable, condiment, medicinal and aromatic species.