If transplants produced in North Carolina are intended for shipment out of the state only, the producer should check the requirements of the importing state to determine if a certificate of inspection is required. If transplants are produced in North Carolina and intended for home, garden, or any non-commercial use in North Carolina, they are exempt from inspection requirements. The transplant producer is designated as a nursery. Information on inspection procedures and fee structure are listed under the Nursery Certification Regulation. Transplants are exempt if they are sold to a grower having personal knowledge of the conditions under which they were produced and they are transplanted within a 30-mile radius of the location at which they were produced.
Plant diseases can cause serious crop losses for the vegetable industry.
Many disease organisms naturally occur in North Carolina and may eventually affect a crop depending upon the environmental conditions. However, the earlier disease organisms are introduced into an area, the more impact they may have. Vegetable transplants, cuttings, sets, crowns, and seed potatoes which are packed, offered, or exposed for sale or shipped into North Carolina must meet certain standards regarding freedom from plant pests. With the exception of asparagus crowns, onion sets, and white seed potatoes, all vegetable plants must be inspected within three days of being placed for sale or being shipped into North Carolina. Additionally, importers must provide notification of the intent to import pepper transplants before the shipment enters the state.