Plant health and seeds control inspection
Information for farmers about inspections the Animal and Plant Health Agency carries out on crops and seeds for signs of disease.
Applies to England and Wales
Who gets inspected
All arable farms growing crops susceptible to plant disease.
What gets inspected
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) sample or visually inspect crops and seeds for signs of disease. These inspections comprise 12 sampling regimes and laboratory analysis to cover a range of plant diseases.
If you’re authorised to issue plant passports, you’ll need an audit inspection at least once a year. Find out more about issuing plant passports.
Time and length
You could be inspected at any time in the year, although there are more inspections in the spring for potato-related surveillance.
Inspections take about an hour.
What happens next
In the case of positive sampling results, the growing land may be “scheduled”. This means there will be restrictions on the growth of crops which might spread disease.
Last updated 17 April 2020 + show all updates
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Added sentence and link to issue plant passports guidance in the 'what gets inspected' section.
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First published.