ONLY two companies have been recommended by the ministry of agriculture and livestock (MALS) through quarantine division that have legal import permit licences to import vegetables seed into the country.
They are Island Enterprise and Solfish company.
Quarantine chief officer Max Kolubalona in an interview yesterday confirmed that these two companies are the only recommended by the government.
He also clarified that government did not recognise most of the seeds sold by Chinese shops and other locals.
Those who continue to sell seeds in the country are doing it illegally, he said.
“Any shops or individual who sell seeds in Honiara or out in the provinces are doing it illegal,” Mr Kolubalona said.
Recently the division confiscated a lot of seeds from the Chinese shops and warned these shops not to sell them anymore.
Mr Kolubalona explained that most of the seeds being imported into the country has to be inspected by the quarantine division to make sure these seeds don’t have any disease.
“Therefore I urge the general public in Honiara to buy seeds from these two recommended companies and report anyone who continues to sell seeds in town or out in the provinces,” he said.
By DENVER NEWTER
