Plant Variety and Seeds Act (Cap. 236).

The Act consists of 85 sections divided into 11 Parts: Preliminary (I); Administration-registration of seed importers and seed cleaners (II); Testing of seeds certifying authority and certifying agency official seed-testers (III); Inspectors of seeds (IV) Licensing of seed sellers (V); Prescribed seed (VI); Import and export of seed (VII); Certified seed (VIII); Offences and miscellaneous (IX); Proceedings and penalty (X); Regulations and Rules (XI).
The Seed Control and Certification Institute is designated as the Certifying Authority and shall be responsible for the administration of this Act. The Certifying Authority shall cause to be kept a Register of Seed Importers and a Register of Seed Cleaners. “Seed cleaner” means any person engaged in the trade or business of eliminating impurities from seed. The Minister may from time to time, as he deems fit, exempt any class of seed importer or seed cleaner from any or all of the provisions of this Part (sect. 15). The Certifying Authority may licence any seed company or institution as a certifying agency in any kind of seed and plant variety (sect. 17). Section 18 concerns appointment of seed inspectors and testers. Powers of inspectors are set out in section 25. A licence issued under Part V shall entitle the licensee to sell, for sowing, prescribed seed. The Minister may from time to time by regulation prescribe any seed, including seed potatoes, to be seed to which this Act shall apply (sect. 35). If any prescribed seed does not conform to the prescribed standards of germination or purity, or both, the owner thereof may cause the said prescribed seed to be treated or cleaned. The Minister may, from time to time and as often as he deems it expedient so to do, by regulation, restrict, limit, make subject to conditions, or prohibit the importation of any particular variety or class of seed into Zambia (sect. 39) and the Minister may from time to time, by statutory notice, specify any particular variety of prescribed seed which may be cultivated for the purpose of producing seed for certification as Zambia certified seed (sect. 49). Any seed producer who desires to cultivate any specified variety or varieties for purposes of certification as Zambia certified seed, shall apply to the Certifying Authority for registration as a registered seed producer.