Seeds Act, 2013 (No. 10 of 2013).

This Act provides for registration of varieties of seeds, seed testing, seed inspection and certification of any seed. It establishes a National Plant Varieties and Seeds Office (NPVSO) within the Ministry responsible for agriculture and a National Plant Varieties and Seeds Committee. NPVSO shall: (a) regulate the cultivation, production, trade, exportation and importation of seeds of any variety of any kind of plant; (b) be responsible for the enforcement of the Act, whereas the Committee shall: (a) advise the Minister on national policies relating to the cultivation, production, trade, exportation and importation of seeds of any variety of any kind of plant; (b) guide and supervise NPVSO in the enforcement of the Act; (c) make recommendations to the Minister for the improvement of the seed regulatory system; (d) make recommendations to the Minister on the release of any variety in Mauritius. The Act also provides rules for the internal and external trade in seed and places restriction on importation of seed.
No person shall cultivate, for commercial purposes, the seed of any variety of any kind of plant unless that variety is registered with NPVSO. The Act sets out requirements for registration. NPVSO shall keep and maintain a National Variety List in which it shall enter such particulars of every listed variety as it may determine.