Agricultural Seeds Act, 1936

Provisions in respect of seeds sold retail in packets.

9.—(1) It shall not be lawful for any person to sell or offer or expose for sale any agricultural seeds by retail in an envelope, carton, box, or other container which is closed by seal, gum, glue, or other similar means or in a bag (containing not more than seven pounds weight of seeds) the mouth of which is closed by being sewn, tied, or sealed, unless there is clearly marked on such container or bag (as the case may be), in close proximity to the statement thereon of the name or description of the seeds contained therein, a statement of the year in which such container or bag was packed and there is also clearly marked on such container or bag the prescribed particulars of the following things or such of them as shall be prescribed, that is to say, the company, society, individual, or other trader by whom and the place at which such container was packed and the nature and variety of the seeds contained therein.

(2) The following provisions shall have effect by way of qualification of the provisions of the foregoing sub-section of this section, that is to say:—

(a) if the year in which any such bag as is mentioned in the said sub-section was packed is clearly stated on a seal securing the mouth of such bag, the statement required by the said sub-section to be on such bag of the year in which such bag was packed may be in the form of a statement to the effect that such bag was packed in the year stated on such seal;

(b) different particulars and different things may be prescribed for the purposes of the said sub-section in respect of different classes (defined by reference to such matters (including the retail price) as the Minister shall think proper) of containers or of bags.

(3) The first sub-section of this section shall not apply to the sale of agricultural seeds by retail where such seeds are, at the time and for the purpose of such sale, taken from a bulk supply in the possession of the vendor and packed by him in such container or bag as is mentioned in the said sub-section.

(4) Every person who sells any agricultural seeds in contravention of this section shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof, in the case of a first such offence, to a fine not exceeding ten pounds and, in the case of a second or any subsequent such offence, to a fine not exceeding twenty-five pounds.