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Agrovet dealers found selling fake seeds face a fine of up to Sh1 million and a jail term of up to two years in a new move by the government to get rid of unscrupulous traders in the market.

Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) Managing director Theophilus Mutui said the organisation has received complaints from farmers over sale of fake seeds by dealers.

“We have had instances of fake seeds sold in some countries, especially in grain basket regions by unscrupulous traders thus affecting food production. In the recent past we managed to arrest the situation in one of the counties in the Rift region,” he stated. Mutui added that the inspectorate will be working with the police and other State agencies to flash out unscrupulous individuals trading counterfeit seeds to unsuspecting farmers.

Farmers in some regions have been complaining of sale of substandard seeds, claiming the same is contributing to low food production. Mutui made the remarks during the launch of 2023-2027 Kephis strategic plan and the National Phytosanitary Policy 2023 at a Nairobi hotel.

He said Seed and Plant Varieties Act Cap 326 of 2012 stipulates stiff penalties for those arrested dealing in fake seeds which includes a fine of up to Sh1 million and a jail term of up to two years if found guilty. Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Ronoh said the launch of the five- year plan comes at an opportune time when the government is implementing the Agriculture Policy 2021.

He noted that the strategic plan is a roadmap that holds great significance to Kenya and Africa for enhancing productivity, strengthening co-operation in safe agricultural trade, improving food safety standards, and thereby benefiting livelihoods in Kenya.

The remarks by Ronoh were contained in a speech read on his behalf by Richard Kanui, Engineering Secretary, State Department for Crop Development and Agricultural Research during the launch of the plan. Mutui noted that there has been a sharp increase in international movement of plants, plant products and regulated articles that have come with their challenges and necessitated the enhancement of sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

“Kephis has heavily invested in pest risk analysis, border surveillance and inspection, quarantine and diagnostic systems, analytical testing capacity that support safe trade in plants and plant products”, he addeD.