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Plant Improvement Act, 1976 (Act No. 53 of 1976)

Regulations

Regulations relating to Establishments, Varieties, Plants and Propagating Material

Chapter II : Requirements relating to establishments

8A. Requirements for test laboratories

 

(1) Any premises on which the business of a test laboratory is conducted, may be registered as an establishment and the registration thereof be renewed if—
(a) the place where samples of plants and propagating material are stored, tested, examined or analysed on the premises concerned—
(i) has a solid floor;
(ii) has efficient lighting so that any marks, printing or writing on containers of samples or on labels attached to such samples may readily be read, and that observations in connection with the tests, examinations or analyses concerned may readily be made; and
(iii) is kept in an orderly, tidy and clean condition at all times; and
(b) the available facilities and equipment at the premises concerned are adequate and sufficient to ensure that the tests, examinations and analyses referred to in subregulation (2), of samples of the kinds of plants and propagating material referred to in that subregulation can be performed properly.

 

(2) The testing, examination or analysis of samples of plants and propagating material at a test laboratory which is registered as an establishment shall—
(a) be restricted to samples of those kinds or plants and propagating material, and to those kinds of examinations, tests and analyses which are specified in the certificate of registration mentioned in respect thereof; and
(b) be performed in accordance with such methods as the registrar may determine.

 

(3) The registrar may require the owner or occupier of a test laboratory for plants and propagating material which is registered as an establishment to carry out referee tests with samples of plants and propagating material with such instructions as the registrar may issue.

 

(4) The owner or occupier of a test laboratory for plants and propagating material which is registered as an establishment shall furnish a report which complies with the requirements referred to in regulation 12A(1), in connection with the testing, examination or analysis of each sample to the person to whom that sample has been submitted.

 

(5) The owner or occupier of a test laboratory for plants and propagating material which is registered as an establishment shall keep at that establishment a quantity of each sample which was tested, examined or analysed there, and which is sufficient in order to repeat that test, examination or analysis—
(a) in the case of plants, tubers or bulbs for a period of at least three months after the test, examination or analysis concerned has been completed, and stored under conditions in which the samples concerned will not be destroyed or affected by any organism; and
(b) in the case of seed for a period of at least 12 months after the test, examination or analysis concerned has been completed, and stored under conditions in which the seed will retain its potential to germinate.

 

(6) The owner or occupier of a test laboratory for seed that has been registered as an establishment, shall—
(i) employ a seed analyst who is in possession of the necessary qualifications, as determined by the Registrar, as responsible officer of the test laboratory; and
(ii) immediately notify the Registrar as soon as the services of such analyst is no longer available.

[Regulation 8A(6) inserted by Notice No. R. 1590 of 27 August 1993]

 

[Regulation 8A substituted by Notice No. R. 2119 of 24 July 1992]