Introduction: This report summarizes an announcement by the Secretariat of Agriculture (SAGARPA) published in Mexico’s “Diario Oficial” (Federal Register) on June 26, 2013, containing a draft of the Official Mexican Regulation PROY-NOM-001-SAG/FITO-2013, which establishes the criteria for the development of guidelines for determining the quality of planting seeds.
Disclaimer: This summary is based on a cursory review of the subject announcement and therefore should not, under any circumstances, be viewed as a definitive reading of the regulation in question, or of its implications for U.S. agricultural export trade interests. In the event of a discrepancy or
discrepancies between this summary and the complete regulation or announcement as published in
Spanish, the latter shall prevail.
Title: Draft of the Official Mexican Regulation PROY-NOM-001-SAG/FITO-2013, which establishes the criteria, procedures and specifications for the development of guidelines for varietal description and rules for determining the quality of planting seeds.Executive Summary: SAGARPA published a notification in the Diario Oficial (Federal Register), on June 26, 2013 containing the draft of an Official Mexican Regulation -PROY-NOM-001-SAG/FITO-2013, to establish criteria, procedures and specifications, both to develop varietal description guides, and draft rules that determine the quality of seeds for planting of each genus and species, according to international standards. This regulation was developed jointly by the government and private industry so that the National Service of Seed Inspection and Certification (SNICS) could have the legal support to back their criteria for the development of guidelines for varietal description and rules for determining the quality of seeds for planting that had already been in use. As such, Post does not expect this NOM to have any impact on U.S.-Mexico seed trade.
The draft states that Mexico has a comparative advantage in the production and export of seeds and that, as a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), should generate equivalence on the qualification of seeds for planting and certification methods that facilitate international trade. Also, as a member of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) Mexico has committed to harmonize the elements used in the description of plant varieties for the purposes of registration and qualification.
Mexico is complying with the Mexican Federal Plant Variety Law and the Federal Law of Production, Certification and Seed Trade as both establish that a Mexican Official Norm should be the regulatory instrument that should establish the criteria, procedures, and specifications for the development of guidelines for varietal description and rules for determining the quality for planting seeds.Comments to the Draft: Interested parties should submit scientifically and technically supported comments to the draft in Spanish, to the Comite Consultivo Nacional de Normalizacion
Agroalimentaria (National Advisory Committee of Agrifood Regulation) at:
Municipio Libre #377, piso 4 B
Col. Santa Cruz Atoyac,
C.P. 03310 Del. Benito Juarez,
Mexico D.F.
Phone: (52-55) 3871-1000 Ext. 33620
E-mail: normatividad@snics.gob.mx
Important Dates
1. Publication Date: June 26, 2013.
2. Comment period: 60 calendar days from the publication in the Diario Oficial. (August 25, 2013)
For More Information
FAS/Mexico Web Site: We are available at www.mexico-usda.com or visit the FAS headquarters' home page at www.fas.usda.gov for a complete selection of FAS worldwide agricultural reporting.FAS/Mexico YouTube Channel: Catch the latest videos of FAS Mexico at work
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Useful Mexican Web Sites: Mexico's equivalent of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (SAGARPA) can be found at www.sagarpa.gob.mx, the equivalent of the U.S. Department of Commerce (SE) can be found at www.economia.gob.mx, and the equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (SALUD) can be found at www.salud.gob.mx. These web sites are mentioned for the reader's convenience but USDA does NOT in any way endorse, guarantee the accuracy of, or necessarily concur with, the information contained on the mentioned sites.
