USPS Shipping Issues

[MissS]

You can get a small lot of seed import permit from the USDA here:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfoc ... -lots-seed

[Paulf]

Even though it has been a couple of years when I worked at our local newspaper, all the papers were delivered through the mail. We are close to the Missouri/Nebraska state line and several in a close by Missouri townspeople subscribe to the paper. The weekly paper prints on Wednesday, goes to the Post Office that afternoon, gets put on a truck to the regional office Wednesday afternoon late. From Lincoln Nebraska, back to the local post office for delivery on Thursday.

The Missouri people have their papers sent to Lincoln, sorted out and sent to Wichita, Kansas, then to Kansas City, then to Saint Joseph, Mo, then to the local Post Office in Rock Port, Mo and delivered on the next Tuesday…unless the papers go to Denver from Lincoln. The Denver to Wichita to sometimes Topeka to KC to St. Jo to Rock Port then adds a couple more days. The papers travel thousands of miles to go twenty. USPS says this is the most efficient way. No more cost for the postage, but lots of fuel and handling cost absorbed by the USPS.

That is called govt. efficiency.

I have mailed seeds internationally inside greeting cards without loss. Does this still work?

[Cole_Robbie]

Mailing seeds in greeting cards works great, especially if you use the "non machineable" stamp. Bigger seeds get crushed otherwise. And internationally, you can't declare seeds as a package content without a "phyto sanitary certificate." It's supposed to be for safety against disease, but it's also quite convenient for the giant ag companies that lobbied to get those rules put in place.

I just now got an email from a customer of mine with a pic of the bubble mailer I sent him usps ground advantage. It was supposed to arrive in 4 days. It took 8. That would have been ok, but I think it spent those last four days on the ground at the loading dock being run over by trucks. It looks like someone beat it with a hammer.

[Seven Bends]

This isn't about the USPS issues; just about the confiscation of seeds, for anyone who hasn't run into this issue yet.

Since late 2019, you can't legally import tomato or pepper seeds into the US under the Small Lots of Seeds permit because of tomato brown rugose fruit virus and six pospiviroids. You have to get a phytosanitary certificate (probably from the seed vendor) and additional declarations that the country you're importing from is free from these diseases or that the seeds you're buying have been tested and shown to be free from them. A full discussion of solanum lycopersicum can be found in the APHIS "Plants for Planting" manual, pp. 3-189 to 3-190. Requirements for tomato & pepper seeds from Canada or Mexico are somewhat different but still very restrictive.

So basically, any shipment of tomato or pepper seeds from outside the US into the US will be confiscated if it is identified as such (and noticed) or if it's inspected on entry and found to contain tomato or pepper seeds.

Here's the text for tomatoes from the APHIS manual:

Solanum lycopersicum Seeds
Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) seeds are regulated to prevent introduction of
the following into the United States:
1. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) Federal Order Effective
November 22, 2019.
2. Six pospiviroids: Columnea latent viroid, Pepper chat fruit viroid, Potato
spindle tuber viroid, Tomato apical stunt viroid, Tomato chlorotic dwarf
viroid, and Tomato planta macho viroid Federal Order Effective December
19, 2023.
All shipments of Solanum lycopersicum seeds from all countries must be
accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate or a re-export phytosanitary
certificate with the following:
1. An additional declaration or a combination of the declarations addressing
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV):
The Solanum lycopersicum plants for planting or seeds originated from a
country certified free from Tomato brown rugose fruit virus, as established
by the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of that country.
OR
A representative sample of Solanum lycopersicum plants for planting or
seed lot has been officially tested and found free of Tomato brown rugose
fruit virus.
OR
The Capsicum spp. and Solanum lycopersicum plants for planting or seeds
originated from a country certified free from Tomato brown rugose fruit
virus, as established by the national plant protection organization (NPPO)
of that country.
OR
A representative sample of Capsicum spp. and Solanum lycopersicum
plants for planting or seed lot has been officially tested and found free of
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus.
Per Federal Order Effective November 22, 2019.
AND
Specific Restrictions
Solanum spp.
3-190 Plants for Planting Manual 01/2024-116
2. An additional declaration or a combination of the declarations addressing
each of the six pospiviroids:
The Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) seeds in the shipment have been
tested and found free of the following pospiviroids: Columnea latent
viroid, Pepper chat fruit viroid, Potato spindle tuber viroid, Tomato apical
stunt viroid, Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid, and Tomato planta macho
viroid.
OR
The Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) seeds in the shipment were produced
in [country] where Columnea latent viroid, Pepper chat fruit viroid, Potato
spindle tuber viroid, Tomato apical stunt viroid, Tomato chlorotic dwarf
viroid, and Tomato planta macho viroid are not known to occur.
The requirement for a phytosanitary certificate with the above additional
declarations applies to all Solanum lycopersicum seeds from all countries
entering the United States.
Federal Order Effective November 22, 2019 and Federal Order Effective
December 19, 2023.
If from Canada, continue to Solanum lycopersicum Seeds from Canada.
NOTICE
A Small Lots of Seed Permit cannot be issued for Capsicum spp. seeds or Solanum
lycopersicum seeds or due to specific requirements for entry.
Specific Restrictions
Solanum spp.
01/2024-116 Plants for Planting Manual 3-191

[AKgardener]

Thank you very good information from all

[worth1]

Texas is experiencing porch theft.
https://www.chron.com/life/wildlife/art ... 649012.php

[worth1]

If you open the link the porch pirate is a possum.

[MissS]

That's funny because I have a opossum porch pirate too! Naughty little bugger.

[Tormato]

I live in such a small town my husband goes half a mile to the post office and brings my stuff home when there's a problem! LOL

I live in such a small town...




































...we don't have a town drunk. So, everyone has to pitch in, and take their turn.