The Regulation on the production, certification and marketing of cereal seeds (the “Regulation”) was published in the Official Gazette dated 17 March 2026 and numbered 33199 and entered into force on the date of its publication.
Through the Regulation, the procedures and principles governing production, certification, marketing, import and export of cereal seeds, as well as inspection processes, have been set out. In this context, the Regulation aims to ensure quality, compliance with applicable standards and effective product tracking.
Under the Regulation, the production and certification of cereal seeds are subject to strict technical criteria; genetic purity, physical characteristics and compliance with quality standards constitute the basis of the certification process.In this context, certification is designed to cover not only the final product but also the production process, and the marketing of uncertified seeds is prohibited.
Furthermore, the Regulation makes variety registration and certification mandatory for seeds of cereals such as wheat, barley, rye, oats and similar cereal species. Accordingly, seeds may only be produced from varieties that have been recorded and approved by the competent authorities. The Regulation also introduces detailed technical procedures for the registration of varieties, the control of production material and certification stages, and provides that inspections and conformity assessments will be carried out by the competent authorities. Seed classes are structured hierarchically as breeder’s material, elite, original and certified; the direct sale of elite class seeds to farmers is expressly prohibited.
The certification process consists of a seed production declaration, field inspection, lot formation and laboratory analysis stages, and it is provided that each stage will be recorded in electronic form. Certificates issued as a result of laboratory analyses are valid for one year from the date of issuance.
Production and marketing activities may only be carried out by natural or legal persons authorized by the Ministry. With respect to placing on the market, the Regulation places particular emphasis on labelling and packaging requirements. It requires that information regarding the type, class, certification status, origin and technical characteristics of the seeds be presented accurately and completely to ensure traceability. Within the scope of labelling and packaging requirements, it is mandatory that seed labels be prepared in a minimum size of 67×110 mm, comply with the background colours determined according to the seed class, include a QR code, and that the packaging be produced in a manner that is not suitable for reuse.
In addition, the Regulation sets out technical and administrative requirements compatible with international standards for import and export operations. In particular, it expressly provides that imported seeds are also subject to the same certification and quality criteria. For imports intended for multiplication purposes, it is mandatory to import seeds of at least the original class; for seeds produced domestically, the Regulation grants the possibility of transition to the OECD seed certification system.
Finally, the Regulation reinforces market surveillance and inspection mechanisms and sets out the procedures for imposing administrative sanctions in cases of production and sales activities that are non-compliant with the legislation, as well as for withdrawing products from the market where necessary. Producers are granted the right to object to the analysis results of samples taken during market inspections; the Seed Registration and Certification Center Directorate has been designated as the reference laboratory for such objections, and the decisions rendered upon objection are provided to be final.
The full text of the Regulation can be accessed via the link provided. (Only in Turkish)
