Acting upon fraudsters who have been selling fake seed to farmers, a new bill with a hefty penalty is being drafted. Initially, the 1996 Seed Act had a K1m fine for familiar offences, a penalty which isn’t as punitive today, considering inflation rate and the ease for one to acquire that amount.

The new bill, proposed by the Director General of the National Seed Commission, proposes 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.

While attributing poor harvests to such malpractices, the Farmers Union of Malawi has hailed the bill as a means of restoring order to the seed business.

Upon the passing of the bill, the agricultural sector is expected to improve immensely and bring hope to those that lost hope due to the fraudsters on the market.