Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Hefty fine for unregistered seed dealers

Home National Hefty fine for unregistered seed dealers

Albertina Nakale

WINDHOEK – Once the Seed and Seed Varieties Bill is enacted into law any person who contravenes or fails to comply with the registration requirements as a seed producer, processor, and the furnishing of periodic returns to the registrar, is liable to a fine of N$10 000.

Those in breach of this law could be jailed for up to 12 months or could be jailed and fined at the same time.
Currently, there is no requirement for registration before one can be a dealer for seed in Namibia.
Due to this, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry Alpheus !Naruseb said there is considerable risk that low-quality seeds may be sold to unsuspecting farmers, resulting in a market failure to the detriment of genuine dealers and production in general.

!Naruseb explained in the National Assembly that once the Seed and Seed Varieties Bill has been passed into law, it will stipulate that all seed producers and seed processing units be registered in order to ensure seed quality and provide consumer protection with regard to seed purity, genetic integrity and freedom from diseases, producers and processors.

No seed of any kind or variety not gazzetted may for the purpose of cultivation, sowing or planting by any person be sold unless the seed is of a variety specified in the register.

“Once this Bill is enacted no person may sell, keep for sale, offer to sell, barter, import or export or otherwise supply any seed by himself or herself or by any other person on his or her behalf unless he or she is registered as a seed dealer,” he stated.

Equally, he said once passed, no person may cultivate, produce or organise the cultivation or production of seed unless registered as seed producer; and no person may operate a seed processing unit unless such unit is registered.

He explained that no person may import into Namibia any seed unless it is of a variety of which the denomination is entered in the register; or it complies with the prescribed requirements.
No person may export from Namibia any seed unless he or she is in possession of the certificate from the registrar authorising such export.

These provisions will complement other laws on bio-safety and phytosanitary regulations in order to ensure consumer protection and safeguard sustainability of the national production base through appropriate consideration for bio-technology and plant health risks.

The Bill will provide for the appointment of the Registrar of Seed and Seed Varieties, registration of producers, processors and dealers of seed and for control over imports and exports of seed.
Further, he explained the Bill further provides for the establishment of the Namibian Seed Council and the Seed Varieties Committee and their powers and functions.

The Bill also seeks to provide that the Registrar of Seed and Seed Varieties will be responsible for registration of seed and seed varieties, keeping and maintaining the register.

According to !Naruseb, the registrar must, subject to any overall policy directives or instructions given by the minister, the council or the Seed Varieties Committee exercise the powers, perform the functions and carry out the duties conferred upon, assigned to or imposed upon the registrar by the Act.

He said the registrar must grant a certificate to those registered and every person registered must furnish periodic returns to the registrar.

The registrar will have the right to suspend or cancel any registration that fails to comply with the requirements.
The registrar must register an applicant as a seed dealer if he or she meets the prescribed requirements relating to infrastructure, equipment and technical ability and knowledge.

Such arrangement will ensure that only seeds from dealers meeting the requirements are permitted to sell seed thereby ensuring that only certified seeds are distributed and or sold to farmers.
Moreover, he indicated no person may conduct or carry on the business of a horticulture nursery, unless such nursery is registered with the registrar.