The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has fined companies and agricultural and commercial establishments SAR30 thousand for breaching the provisions of the Law (Regulation) on Seeds, Seed Tubers and Seedlings of the States of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC). Upon instruction by the Ministry, violators were obliged to destroy the seeds found in violation of the law, through a specialized establishment, at their expense.
The Director General of Plant Wealth in the Ministry, Dr. Sulaiman Al-Khatib, said that 10 violations were reported including seeds of unknown origin, date-expired seeds and seeds sold at retail without consent from the competent authority.
Al-Khatib pointed out that 31 seed sacks, 200 kg of unknown origin seeds, 3 bottles of expired red onion seeds, 30 kg of adulterated seeds, 1 sack of clover seeds, 30 kg of seeds sold without official approval, 677 packets of diverse seeds, 4 packets of expired Crimson Sweet Watermelon were seized.
Al-Khatib called on all companies and establishments to abide by the regulations and technical requirements, stressing the penalties set by the law include imposing fines up to SAR200 thousand, destroying of seeds and shutting down the violating establishment.