Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development has announced that it will intervene on fake seed traders who have been crippling the agricultural sector and the economy altogether. The ministry’s Controller of Agriculture Services Masankho Bulirani said a proposed seed bill will ensure appropriate punishments for people who sell fake seed.

The announcement follows a similar call in February as the Director General of the National Seed Commission, proposed that any prescribed seed found to be fake or found not to conform to standards of moisture content, defects, purity and germination shall not be sold by any person, for sowing, with a hefty fine not exceeding 35million and about 9 years imprisonment to individuals that will sell such seed.

Seed Traders Association Chairperson John Lungu revealed that IT platforms which shall be used to guarantee the quality of seed. Last February, 21 African countries gathered to brainstorm and share on implementation of national and regional seed regulations. The meeting took place as the current situation is that seed suppliers are facing numerous problems that affect their work. Kenya and Uganda are some of the partners that will devise technologies that will assist farmers to identify fake seed on the market.