By Wallace Mawire
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water ,and Rural Development (MLAFWRD) in Zimbabwe has launched a blitz against bogus agro-dealers who are selling counterfeit seed to farmers and unsuspecting clients ultimately affecting agricultural production in the country.
Edmore Mtetwa, Head of Seed Services Institute, Department of Research and Specialist Services in said noting that the country is now in the peak selling period for seed, the Ministry wishes to remind farmers and the general public that they must purchase certified seed from registered agro-dealers only to avoid being duped by unscrupulous dealers selling counterfeit products.
‘We wish to emphasize that farmers have the right to ask for proof of registration/license of any agro-dealer outlet, which ordinarily must be displayed at all outlets for ease of verification and for the convenience of the public,’ Mtetwa said.
He also assured farmers that the country has a robust regulatory framework aimed at combatting counterfeit seed on the market to ensure that farmers are protected.
He added that in order to eradicate bogus seed sellers, the Ministry’s Seed inspectorate is conducting spot checks on various agro-dealer premises to monitor compliance to the specifications of the Seed Act (Chapter 19:13) and the relevant supporting Statutory Instruments.
According to the ministry, this is a 10-weeks-operation covering the peak-selling season for agro-inputs, targeting all cities and towns as well as selected business centres across the country.
The operation started from 6 October to mid December 2025 depending on the market situation.
Mtetwa said the licensing of seed sellers allows the Ministry responsible for Agriculture to assess the agro-dealer’s capacity in proper handling and safe storage of certified seed, whilst at the same time preventing the distribution of counterfeit seed.
He said Section 8 of the Seed Act (Chapter 19:13) stipulates that, “no person shall sell seed unless registered as a seed seller”.
The spot checks are tracking the traceability of seed lots and verifying compliance with the country’s seed certification and quality assurance system.
In the operation, the Ministry is receiving support from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) for regulatory enforcement at the highest level.
They are also working with all seed houses to ensure that their seed distribution channels only involve licensed agro-dealers.
‘We are receiving cooperation from sales agronomists employed by various seed houses in reporting any suspicious cases of counterfeit seed, smuggled seed or any suspected violation of the country’s seed regulatory frameworks. Such cases must be reported promptly to the nearest police station as well as notifying the Ministry’s Seed Services Institute,’ Mtetwa said.
He said the Ministry is also sending a strong warning to any would-be offenders that they will be prosecuted and face the full wrath of the law.
Mtetwa informed the public that it should be noted that, unscrupulous dealers selling counterfeit seed face arrest and prosecution in the courts of law.
He said the courts decide on punitive measures which include but not limited to loss of license if the offence is committed by a licensed agro-dealership, fine depending on schedule of offence, ordering restitution or compensation to farmers including prison sentence.
He said it is the ministry’s hope that with the warnings, farmers in the country are guided accordingly in terms of where to source their agro-inputs.
Zimbabwe Seed Association (ZSA) Chairman, Dr. John Makoni in an update on season preparedness and counterfeit seed awareness said the ZSA collaborates with government authorities to combat fake seed.
Makoni said when sales agronomists detect suspicious seed, they report it to the authorities and it is investigated and if confirmed to be fake, the law takes its course.
‘Let me emphasize again,farmers watch out for fake seed, usually purchased cheaply from unreliable sources. Though cheap, the cost of fake seed lasts a whole season. Fake seed would lead to loss of yield potential and markets thus reducing income, threatening viability of the farming business. It threatens national food and nutrition security, livelihoods as well as retard agricultural transformation,’ he said.
Zimbabwe Seed Association is a non-profit, membership based representative body of the formal seed sector in Zimbabwe.
ZSA members develop, produce, process and market seed of a wide range of field crops such as maize, sorghum, millets, wheat, barley, rice, potato, soya-bean, sunflower, groundnut, sesame, beans, cowpea, cotton and tobacco.
He said horticulture crops include cabbage, rape, spinach, carrot, eggplants, tomato, peas, pepper, squash, butternuts, pumpkins, cucumber, flowers and pasture crops.
Pasture crops include katambora grass, rye, sorghums, lurcene, velvet bean, lablab and sunhemp, just to mention a few.
Dr Makoni informed all consumers of seed that their members are prepared to meet their seed needs this 2025/26 planting season.
He said ZSA members are registered with the government regulator, the Seed Services Institute, and produce, import, process and market seed according to laid down regulations and procedures to ensure that good quality seed of improved varieties is availed on the market.
He added that the seed will be clean, will germinate well, free from pests and seed borne diseases.
Dr Makoni said where seed is imported it will be from reliable approved suppliers.
In addition, he said, the varieties put on the market have been evaluated and found to be adaptable to the prevailing production environment as well as meeting the needs of farmers, processors and consumers.
He said field crops are approved for commercial production by the national variety release committee.
Dr Makoni said fodder and horticulture crop varieties, whose seed is mostly imported, are evaluated for local adaptation.
He urged farmers to watch out for illegally imported seed saying most of the imported varieties have not been evaluated in Zimbabwe and their good performance is not guaranteed.
‘Good quality seed from ZSA members is distributed across the country through a network of reliable and reputable agro-dealer network, again these are registered with Seed Services Institute,’ Dr Makoni said.
He said seed from ZSA members is not sold in a cup by the roadside.
He added that fake seed is real and urged farmers to buy seed from reliable sources and to be familiar with seed packaging of their desired brand.
‘You can spot fake seed by suspicious packaging, spelling errors on the package or label, errors on the seed company logo and even the colour shade of the dye on the seed,” Dr Makoni said.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commissioner Paul Nyathi his organization has launched a joint operation with SeedCo Zimbabwe to curb the sale of counterfeit maize seed.
Nyathi said as the 2025/26 farming season commences, the public is advised that an operation targeting the production and distribution of fake seed is currently in full swing.
He said the two organizations are working closely to ensure that traders and individuals selling counterfeit maize seed to unsuspecting farmers throughout the country are arrested for the law to take its course.
Nyathi said the police will enforce provisions of the country’s Seed Act, Chapter 19:13 to arrest bogus dealers swindling farmers.
