SEED

CHAPTER 67:06
SEED

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

    SECTION

PART I
PRELIMINARY

    1.    Short title

    2.    Interpretation

PART II
MALAWI SEED REGULATORY AUTHORITY

    3.    Establishment of the Malawi Seed Regulatory Authority

    4.    Functions of the Authority

    5.    Composition of the Authority

    6.    Tenure of office and vacancies

    7.    Meetings of the Authority

    8.    Committees of the Authority

    9.    Allowances and expenses

    10.    Independence of the Authority

    11.    Director General

    12.    Removal of a Director General

    13.    Other staff of the Authority

    14.    Oath of secrecy

    15.    Disclosure of interest

    16.    Protection from liability

    17.    Common seal

    18.    Annual reports

PART III
FUNDS AND PROPERTY OF THE AUTHORITY

    19.    Funds and property of the Authority

    20.    Accounting and audit

PART IV
CROP VARIETY RELEASE AND REGISTRATION

    21.    Crop Variety Release and Registration Committee

    22.    Composition of the Committee

    23.    National Crop Variety Catalogue

    24.    Crop variety registration requirements

    25.    Withdrawal of a crop variety from the National Crop Variety Catalogue

    26.    Crop variety database

PART V
CERTIFIED SEED

    27.    Seed certification scheme

    28.    Seed testing laboratories

    29.    Seed inspectors, samplers and analysts

    30.    Crop variety and class of seed for production of certified seed

    31.    Certification of seed

    32.    Registration of seed producers

    33.    Cancellation or suspension of registration

    34.    Inspection

    35.    Seed sample to be tested for certification

    36.    Testing of seed samples

PART VI
PROCESSING AND SALE OF SEED

    37.    Processing of seed

    38.    Reporting obligations and inspection

    39.    Packaging of certified seed

    40.    Sale of seed by seed producer

    41.    Sale of certified seed by seed seller

    42.    Registration of seed sellers

    43.    Licensing of certified seed selling premises

PART VII
IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION OF SEED

    44.    Restriction on importation and exportation of seed

    45.    Importation and exportation of seed

    46.    Conditions for importation of certified seed

    47.    Importation of seed samples

    48.    Testing requirement for seed imported from some countries

PART VIII
APPEALS PANEL

    49.    Establishment of Appeals Panel

    50.    Procedure of the Appeals Panel

    51.    Decisions of the Appeals Panel

PART IX
OFFENCES AND PENALTIES

    52.    Prohibition against tampering with samples and seed lots

    53.    Prohibition against altering, defacing or removing official records, etc.

    54.    Prohibition against altering, defacing, etc.; other documents and labels

    55.    Prohibition of sale of uncertified seed, etc.

    56.    Prohibition against testing seed in a place other than a seed testing laboratory

    57.    Prohibition against obstruction, etc., of seed inspector or seed sampler, etc.

    58.    Prohibition against sale of certified seed under name other than varietal name

    59.    Breach of confidentiality

    60.    General penalty

    61.    Forfeiture and disposal of items used in commission of offence

    62.    Offences by body corporates

PART X
MISCELLANEOUS

    63.    Power to search and seize goods

    64.    Duty to keep records

    65.    Duty to surrender revoked registration certificate or licence

    66.    Inspection of registers

    67.    Regulations

    68.    Repeal and savings

        SCHEDULE

21 of 2022
G.N. 19/2024

    An Act to regulate the release and registration of crop varieties in Malawi; regulate the production, processing, certification and sale of certified seed and importation and exportation of seed; provide for the establishment of the Malawi Seed Regulatory Authority; and matters incidental thereto

PART I
PRELIMINARY

1.    Short title

    This Act may be cited as the Seed Act.

2.    Interpretation

    In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

    “Appeals Panel” means an Appeals Panel appointed under section 49 (1);

    “Authority” means the Malawi Seed Regulatory Authority established under section 3;

    “certified seed” means any seed which is certified under section 31;

    “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Authority appointed under section 5;

    “crop variety” means a plant grouping within a single botanical taxon of the lowest known rank, which can be—

    (a)    defined by the expression of the characteristics resulting from a given genotype of that plant grouping;

    (b)    distinguished from other plant grouping by expression of at least one of its genotype characters; and

    (c)    considered as a unit with regard to its suitability for being propagated, which remains unchanged after the propagation;

    “Crop Variety Release and Registration Committee” means the Crop Variety Release and Registration Committee established under section 21;

    “Director General” means the Director General of the Authority appointed under section 11;

    “genetically modified organism” has the meaning ascribed to that term under the Biosafety Act;

    “imported certified seed” means imported seed which is certified as Imported…