ISHS Acta Horticulturae 362: International Symposium on Agrotechnics and Storage of Vegetable and Ornamental Seeds
PRIVATIZATION OF SEED CERTIFICATION RESPONSABILITY: A PROPOSAL |
| Authors: | A. Bozzini, A. Sonnino |
| Abstract:
Seed trading is the object of very strict certification schemes, normally provided by specific laws. In most of cases, only a Public Administration Body has the right of certifying these produces providing to the traders with certification labels after a careful control of the seed production, processing and packaging systems. While in the past such a solution seemed to be feasible and easy to perform, at the present moment, and in the future even more, the system seems to be toilsome, expensive and not really leading to the best conditions for guarantying the users of the genetical purity and of the other necessary phisiological characteristics of the seed. We therefore propose the abolishment of all official "ex ante" systematic analyses (field and factory State systematic inspections) to be replaced by private responsability of the product Quality (as for all, or most, of them normally on the market) and by an "ex post" system of analysis, upon request of the end user, to be performed on representative samples to be stored by the seed company as a Quality guarantee. This system could then allow also the commercialization of 2–3 years old seed, provided the production date is clearly and openly declared, with the consequent modifications in terms of phisiological quality and of its related price. The advantages of the proposed privatization of seed certification resposability are briefly discussed. | |
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