Ministry of Lands officials raid Spar Five Avenue

Spar Five Avenue has been raided by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.

The ministry is on a nationwide operation against illicit imports.

The government recently launched a 10-week blitz to eradicate fraudulent agro-dealers preying on unsuspecting farmers doing their preparations for next season by trading in counterfeit inputs.

The operation covers all cities, towns and business centres and is expected to end mid-December depending on the market situation.

In a recent interview with The Herald, Edmore Mtetwa, head of the Seed Services Institute, urged farmers to purchase certified products from registered agro-dealers.

“We are collaborating with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to eliminate bogus agro-dealers.

“To ensure the quality and effectiveness of the products, consumers should verify that their suppliers are officially registered and that the products carry the necessary certification labels.

“As an institute, we apply various methods to guarantee the eradication of counterfeit seeds from the market by licensing all seed sellers/agro-dealers across the country,” he said.

Zwnews