Police, producers declare war on counterfeit seed

The Zimbabwe Republic Police, working in partnership with the seed industry, has launched a nationwide crackdown on counterfeit seed as the 2025/26 agricultural season begins, following the discovery of a major scam in Harare's Mbare area where fraudsters have been repackaging and painting ordinary grain to pass it off as certified seed.

Addressing journalists yesterday, Zimbabwe Seed Association (ZSA) chairperson John Makoni said the industry was fully prepared for the new planting season but warned that the surge in fake seed posed a serious threat to farmers' productivity and national food security.

"We are ready for the 2025/26 season, with enough seed for all major crops," Makoni said. "But counterfeit seed is now a serious issue. Farmers are being presented with fake products that threaten their livelihoods."

Makoni said ZSA represents companies that produce certified seed for maize, sorghum, millet, wheat, barley, rice, potatoes, soyabeans, groundnuts and horticultural crops. He emphasised that seed from ZSA members goes through strict processing in line with national regulations to ensure purity, quality and protection against pests and diseases.

"Good quality seed from ZSA members is distributed through registered and licensed agro-dealers," he said. "We want farmers to know that unscrupulous players are putting fake seed on the market. Farmers must ensure they buy seed from authentic suppliers."

He urged farmers to look out for suspicious packaging, warning that poor labelling, missing production information or spelling errors were common signs of counterfeit products. "Cheap seed often ends up costing the farmer a whole season," he said.

Seed Services Institute head Edmore Mtetwa said government inspectors were conducting operations across the country to seize fake seed and verify the legality and quality of products found on the market.

"We are taking samples from consignments and verifying quality on the streets," he said. "We are receiving enormous support from the police for enforcement at district level."

Mtetwa stressed that only licensed distributors were allowed to sell seed and appealed to farmers to report suspicious dealers. Offenders, he said, risk arrest, loss of licence, fines, compensation claims and possible imprisonment.

National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that law enforcement agents were already making arrests as counterfeit seed floods the market ahead of the rainy season.

"We have seen a proliferation of fake seed, including counterfeit packaging," he said. "Some of the material being sold makes us wonder how people accessed it. Some is coming from illegal premises printing fake packaging."

Nyathi said many farmers were being deceived due to lack of information and urged the seed industry to intensify awareness campaigns, especially in rural communities.

"I can assure you arrests will be made this week," he said. "We will publicise the individuals, agents, hardware stores and companies involved. Farming is central to Zimbabwe's prosperity, and the police are determined to ensure order in the farming sector."

The crackdown comes as government and industry race to protect farmers from fraudulent products that could derail the agricultural season and undermine national food and nutrition security.