Seed Certification Service

Implementation of Seed Act. SL GAP Certification. Denomination of Imported Seed Varieties. The Seed Certification Service of the Department of Agriculture was formally established in 1979 with the assistance of the Netherland Government Aid program. However the DOA has provided the service of Seed testing since 1958 during said year 1758 samples of paddy were tested. A seed testing laboratory with

an annual capacity of 5000 samples was established at Peradeniya in 1970. The first field inspection and certification activity commenced with rice in 1980. This service was expanded to pulses in 1983, vegetable crops in 1984 and potato in 1986. Post control testing of these crops commenced parallely six fields assigned for the purpose at Gannoruwa PC1, Gannoruwa PC2, Mahailuppallama, Bataata, Karadiyannaru and Seethaeliya. The SCS over time has established 24 regional units around the country to facilitate the field inspectorate. Distinctness Uniformity and Stability (DUS) testing of new varieties an activity undertaken by the SCS commenced in 1984. Post control activities further expanded throughout the country by commenced new PC unit for Batatha and Karadiyanaru in 2015. SCS has far expanded from 2011 including Seed Act Implementation Unit and Certification of Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) since 2018.