Importing seeds into India?

liesme

Does anybody know if one can legally bring flowers- or herbs seeds into India?
We will be shipping our personal goods into the country & I wonder if we could pack (commercially packed) seeds in our container.

byronic

Hi liese and welcome to IM
it seems it is legal to bring packaged seeds to India. We had a recent thread on the subject.
Garden Seeds, to and From India
We there does seem to be some controvery on the subject though, as you will read from the thread.
Check it out and you two cents on the controvery are very welcome.

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liesme

I checked the 'old' thread rightaway, which for me is enough of an answer!

mira4bai4

First think carefully about the flowers and herbs and what potential damage they can cause to native species if they get out of control. Sure one bunch of flowers growing in a garden won't hurt, not for a year or two but now exotic wildflowers are infesting the forest areas and other easily inhabitable areas and smothering out the native species. Some of the Indian herbal species are slightly different to other western varieties and unless the plants are going to be grown and used under specific conditions then the potential to change the native species and their specific attributes may be cause for concern. Think about the valleys of wild flowers up in the mountains, great that it is native species but what if it became infested with exotics, the herbal economy based on these flowers would be put in jeopardy.

Vegetable seeds are of a lesser concern due to the nature of the plants but really careful consideration is always important. Any number of western seed is available via catalogue to be imported into India, often the choice has been made not to for various reasons.

Digital Drifter

mira,
Thanks for the reminder to everyone. I think your country has seen the brunt of such 'harmless' seeds and animals.

Again, thanks for the heads up.

shere

I am sure on the back of the little form you fill for immigration/customs it mentions something about seeds.

Perhaps if someone has one of these forms to hand they can check to see what the official position is.

mira4bai4

My home country New Zealand has really seen it in a big way with Box Thorn hedge rows, Gorse, Lupin, Blackberry, Pampass and so many others and Australia had there fare share thanks to the Brits but why did anyone bring the Possum to NZ, that and the goats and Deer have and still are desamating the country. There are more possums than sheep!

liesme

Thanks to all of you 'posters' for thinking with me!
As far as I'm concerned this thread can be finished, unless other people would like to proceed with it.

beach

In supper markets we have seeds of foreign flowers & vegitables on sale (imported packets). We too bought some. But nothing made it to a full grown plant

cyberhippie

Care to elaborate Mira, I'm interested in the difference??

beach

...i think they (vegetable seeds) dont spread (and ruins) like the weeds...

crvlvr

mira4bkai raises some great points. Also, beware that the customes mayt think that you might be smuggling drugs into the country.

mira4bai4

Unlike flowers and herbs which have the tenacity of survival, vegetable really require good soil conditions, however in saying that I have collected silverbeet from a stoney beach.

Much of the vegetable seed is root, carrot, parsnip, radish, etc and seldom flowers let alone seeds, the brassicas, cabbages, brussel sprouts, lettuce, silverbeet etc do seed but due to the consumption of caterpillars and grazing critters their wild survival is limited. Tomatoes may spread more than the rest but as vegetables are very susceptible to insects and fungus diseases unlike flowers and herbs being less fleshy their survival in the wild is very limited. Also the modern vegetable seeds are not like the old ones that do provide a next generation seed, modern seeds are not designed for allowing next generation fertility.

There are always exceptions but generally wildflowers and herbs have the ability to spread on mass where vegetables are localised.

cyberhippie

Thanks Mira!!