The certification fee charged to growers for the 2021 harvest season has increased from last year to cover the cost of the new Seed Certification Information System (SCIS) which will replace the current e-Seed Cert and paper-based system from next year.
As a result, growers with seed harvested in 2021 and been cleaned or still to be cleaned will see an increase of $0.009/kg or $90 per 10t line. This fee will be collected by AsureQuality on behalf of growers and may show up as part of the certification charge or on a separate invoice. As this is an industry initiative, seed merchants will also be contributing the same amount as growers towards the SCIS development.
NZSA are reporting that SCIS is heading towards the final development stages, with a soft "go live" release planned for early 2022 allowing growers and seed merchants to begin to familiarise themselves with the features. From here it is planned that all activities associated with certified crops to be harvested in 2023 will be administered in SCIS.
For more information, please contact one of the following New Zealand Seeds Authority Federated Farmers representatives, rather than AsureQuality.
Hamish Marr, 027 532 9556; John McCaw, 027 414 0157; David Birkett, 027 313 2768.