Civil liability of sellers of seeds
25.—(1) Particulars given to a purchaser by the seller of seed in pursuance of these Regulations, whether given expressly or by implication arising from the description under which the seed is sold, shall constitute a statutory warranty for the purpose of section 4 of the Act in so far as they relate to the category of seed, the percentage germination of the seed, the percentage analytical purity of the seed, the content of seed of other plant species and the varietal identity and varietal purity of the seed.
(2) Section 4(2) of the Act shall apply to any particulars given to a purchaser by the seller of seeds, being particulars given or implied as in paragraph (1), in so far as they relate to the percentage germination, the percentage analytical purity, the content of seed of other plant species, the number of clusters with single seedlings or the number of clusters with three or more seedlings and there are hereby prescribed in respect of such matters the limits of variation set out in Schedule 9.
(3) Section 4(3) of the Act shall apply to any particulars given to a purchaser by the seller of the seed, being particulars given or implied as in paragraph (1), in so far as they relate to the percentage germination, the percentage analytical purity, the content of seed of other plant species, the number of clusters with a single seedling, or the number of clusters with three or more seedlings.
(4) A purchaser who intends to obtain a test of seed for the purposes of section 4(3) of the Act shall, not more than ten days after delivery to him of the seed, give to the seller notice of his intention and thereupon the seller may indicate a day (not being more than twenty-one days after the delivery of the seed to the purchaser) and a reasonable time on that day at which a sample of the seed may be taken in the presence of himself or his representative and the purchaser shall afford to the seller reasonable facilities for that purpose.
(5) On the day and at the time appointed by the seller in accordance with paragraph (4) or, if the seller shall have failed to appoint such a day and time, on a day not more than twenty-eight days after delivery of the seed to the purchaser, the purchaser or his representative may, and if the seller or his representative is present shall, take a sample of seed.
(6) A sample taken in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (5) shall be taken and divided by the purchaser or his representative into two parts in accordance with the requirements contained in Schedule 5 of the Seed (Registration, Licensing and Enforcement) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009, of which one part shall be sent to the chief officer of an official testing station for the purpose of being tested and the other part delivered or tendered to the seller or his representative or, if he or his representative was not present when the sample was taken, sent to him by post.
(7) Where a sample is taken in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (5) and divided into two parts in accordance with paragraph (6) each part of the divided sample shall be of at least the appropriate minimum weight specified in Schedule 7 (lots and sample weights) of these Regulations.