Quality seed is a vector for the transfer of genetic progress and an essential instrument for supporting sustainable agricultural production.
Before reaching the farmer, the seed must undergo several generations of multiplication. For each generation, previous cultivation procedures, isolation, cultivation management, packaging, storage and transfer must be followed in accordance with current regulations.
The production, certification and marketing of seeds are defined by the provisions of dahir No 1-69-169 July 1969, as amended by dahir no. 1-76-472 of 19 September 1977 and its implementing legislation, in particular:
– The 11 Decrees approving the technical regulations on the production, control, packaging and certification of seed of: straw cereals, maize, pulses, fodder crops, oilseeds, sunflower hybrids, industrial and forage beets, cotton, standard vegetable seeds, and seed potatoes and saffron bulbs;
– Order No 966-93 of 20 April 1993, as amended by Order No. 3828-94 of 9 November 1994 laying down the conditions for importing seeds and plants
– Decree of the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests No 2065-17 of 23 kaâda 1438 (16 August 2017) on the missions delegated by the National Office of Health Security of Food Products to organizations
The technical regulations relating to the production, control, packaging and certification of seeds shall define the conditions for admission to the control of producers and multipliers, general production rules and the standards and stages of seed control and certification.
Certification checks are carried out at all stages of production. It is based on the control of the filiation of generations, from the starting material to the commercial seed. The controls are numerous and varied. They include:
– field checks,
– Laboratory checks;
– subsequent checks.
– Field and post inspection shall be carried out in accordance with the OECD certification schemes for which Morocco accedes to the OECD systems for the certification of varieties of cereals, maize, grassland and pulses, Cruciferous and other oilseed or fibre plants and vegetable plants. In addition, Morocco obtained in 1991 the equivalence of the European Union for the control and certification of seeds of the aforementioned species.
– Sampling and analysis of these samples is carried out according to the methods of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) The main purpose of this Directive is to standardize the methods of sampling and analysis of the physical and physiological quality of seed samples.
Technical Regulations for the Production, Control, Packaging and Certification of Seeds of:
– cereal
– food legumes
– fodder legumes
– oleaginous
– beets
– cotton
– maize
– Standard seed
– Saffron bulbs (corm seed)