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Edgar Vhera
Agriculture Specialist Writer
THE Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) is escalating efforts to protect farmers from unlicensed agro-input dealers capitalising on their urgency to secure inputs for the 2024/25 season and trading in counterfeit products.
This has pushed AMA to evoke Statutory Instrument 140 of 2013, [Chapter 18:24], Agricultural Marketing Authority (Grain, Oilseed and Products), By-laws.
AMA chief executive officer, Mr Clever Isaya said his organisation was mandated to register and certify all buyers, brokers, contractors, processors and traders in the grain and oilseed industries with ultimate aim of preventing unlicensed dealers from entering the market.
“In response to an increase in counterfeit agricultural products, AMA has intensified its monitoring efforts across the country to ensure compliance with SI 140 of 2013.
“This crackdown addresses the risks posed by unauthorised dealers selling counterfeit products, which harm crop yields and threaten farmer investments,” he said.
SI 40 requires only licensed entities to trade in agricultural inputs, ensuring that quality standards are maintained.
AMA’s inspection teams are on the ground actively verifying licenses and will take enforcement action against any non-compliant dealers, he said.
“The integrity of agricultural products is crucial to both the farmer and consumer. By enforcing these licensing regulations, we are creating a safer market environment that fosters fair trade practices and protects farmers from harmful counterfeit goods,” he added.
Under the 2013 by-laws, offenders may face penalties, including fines and potential imprisonment.
Farmers are urged to buy only from licensed dealers and report any suspicious activities to AMA. This proactive approach supports sustainable farming and aligns with AMA’s mission to promote orderly marketing and protect investments within Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector.
The move by AMA complements current efforts by the Government that saw 43 agro-dealers being penalised for stocking counterfeit and unregistered agricultural inputs in the 10-week blitz that ends in December.
Fertiliser, Farm Seed and Remedies Institute head, Mrs Charity Kunaka, recently said the ongoing 10-week crackdown was a key component of a larger strategy aimed at safeguarding farmers and bolstering the nation’s agricultural sector.
“We conducted inspections on 539 agro-dealers and eight percent were found in possession of unregistered and smuggled products,” said Mrs Kunaka.
The authorities confiscated the products while the agro-dealers involved were fined.
“The confiscated pesticides included, but were not limited to parasnow, snowcrown, ratol, snowtiger, asteroid lambda, and cynalothrin,” said Mrs Kunaka highlighting that most of the products originated from Zambia and could have been distributed throughout the country.
These initiatives are essential for ensuring that farmers have access to safe, high-quality agricultural inputs, which are crucial for successful crop production.
Mrs Kunaka said by targeting counterfeit and unregistered products they were promoting the overall health of the agricultural ecosystem, as the presence of these products not only threatened the market’s integrity but also posed risks to production safety and sustainability.
The Government has increased monitoring, inspections and surveillance to eradicate fraudsters who sell counterfeit, smuggled, expired and unregistered fertilisers, pesticides and farm feeds.
Online Reporter