The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has raised concern over the growing sale of counterfeit crop seeds across the country, warning that the illegal trade is putting farmers at serious risk ahead of the 2024/2025 farming season.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the problem has escalated in major cities and towns, with organised syndicates exploiting desperate farmers searching for cheaper seed varieties.
He made the remarks during the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Bulawayo Chapter’s interaction programme with the police.
Zimbabwe has seen a surge in counterfeit products on the market, with the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) also warning about the rampant influx of fake goods.
Commissioner Nyathi said the fake seed challenge has been reported in Bulawayo, Harare, Chegutu, Chivhu and Wedza.
“It is a fact, we have had a challenge in Bulawayo, Harare, Chegutu, Chivhu and Wedza. After last week’s raids, we found people operating from hardware shops and street corners offering fake seeds to farmers,” he said.
“Just imagine: seeds that normally cost US$43 are being sold for US$20 for 10kg. When farmers experience poor germination, they blame seed companies.”
He urged seed companies to work closely with the police and the media to educate farmers on how to identify genuine seed.
“We have told seed companies to work closely with the media and the police so we can continue educating Zimbabweans on how to distinguish original seeds from fake ones, especially by checking the packaging. It is clear criminals are taking advantage of packaging weaknesses.”
Commissioner Nyathi said specialised teams are already on the ground.
“Here in Bulawayo, we have a provincial team working with police to conduct raids and identify people selling fake seeds. We can only do this with the help of agronomists, so the police and seed houses have a joint team on the ground until mid-January,” he said.
He added that police will publicly name suspects arrested across the country next week.
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