Govt acts to curb fake seeds

The Government has warned that it will not spare agro dealers and farmers who will engage in fraudulent activities of supply of fake seeds on the Zambian market.

Senior Seed Control Officer Zomba Sikazwe said that to address the problem of counterfeits on the market, the Government under seed control certification institute, had put in place a section to conduct inspections and maintain the updated database to address counterfeits products on the market.

Ms Sikazwe said during the Zamseed promotions media engagement launch in Lusaka recently that farmers in the country should buy seed from well-known sources to avoid buying counterfeit seeds.

“So as Government, we are implementing inspection in warehouses, open markets and in agro-dealers more especially during the planting with the view to address the increase of counterfeits products,” she said.

Ms Sikazwe said that the Government would use Cap 236 of the laws of Zambia which empowered the Government department of seed control Certification to apprehend those who were dealing with counterfeits and be able to prosecute them through collaboration with other line ministries and Zambia Police to address fake seeds on the market.