Fake seeds dominating zimbabwean markets

AN influx of fake maize seed and fertiliser has hit
the market as black market traders seek to cash in
during the planting season, The Standard has
established.
As has become the norm every season, criminal
elements take advantage of unsuspecting farmers
by selling them uncertified and fake seed on the
market.
The middlemen collect empty sacks or packaging
of reputable seed producers and fill them with
ordinary maize seeds mixed with colouring liquid
to trick farmers into believing that it is genuine
seed.
A visit by The Standard to Harare's popular
market, Mbare, showed several vendors selling
fake seed and fertiliser.
Small hand-woven packages were selling for US$
1 a bag while a 10kg bag fetched a price of US$10.
"My products are selling at a fast rate and I have
them in abundance. On good days I can make
several trips to my house collecting more seed,"
said a vendor who declined to be identified and
claimed that his seed was genuine.
He said since Mbare was a transportation hub,
many farmers from the various rural areas were
buying the seeds.
"Farmers do not have money, so it's my job to
provide them with this seed which is affordable,"
he said.
Genuine seeds usually have protective seed
dressing, which is designed not to easily rub off.
In the case of fake seeds, the green colouration
rubs off easily.
A 10kg bag of maize seed ranges between US$22
and US$30. High yielding varieties sell above US$
40 per 10kg bag.
One farmer who identified herself as Goredema
said owing to the little money that she had at her
disposal, she was left with no choice but to buy
such seed.
"I do not have enough money at the moment so
I prefer to buy what I can afford. I have been
farming maize for my family for many years
buying from these traders so I don't think this
seed is fake," she said.
Various farmer organisations and seed
companies expressed ignorance on the
prevalence of the fake seed.
"I have not heard about these issues so I cannot
comment about it," said Zimbabwe Farmers
Union president Silas Hungwe.
Despite crackdowns on the unscrupulous traders,
the sale of fake seed has continued.