Section 17: Allotment of annual quotas

17. Allotment of annual quotas (1) The Board shall every year determine the quantity of leaf tobacco required, and shall issue to each producer the following certificates— (a) a certificate in respect of a seed bed in which shall be specified— (i) the situation of the seed bed; (ii) the variety of tobacco the grower may sow; (iii) the date of expiry of the certificate; and (iv) such other particulars as the Board may determine; (b) a certificate in respect of a tobacco plantation in which shall be specified— (i) the locality where the tobacco may be grown; (ii) the quota allotted to the producer for that year; (iii) the acreage the producer may plant; (iv) the type and variety of tobacco the producer may produce; and (v) such other particulars as the Board may determine. (2) A producer to whom certificates have been issued under subsection (1) shall, on being required so to do by the Board, the Director-General, an officer of the Ministry responsible for the subject of agriculture, or a person deputed in that behalf by the Chairperson of the Board or the DirectorGeneral, produce any of the certificates for inspection. (3) (a) In this subsection, “specified” means specified in a certificate issued under subsection (1). (b) A producer who— (i) sows any tobacco other than a specified tobacco; (ii) plants any tobacco in any locality other than a specified locality; (iii) produces any type or variety of tobacco other than a specified type or variety; (iv) sows or has in his possession any tobacco seed other than the tobacco seed supplied to him or approved by the Board; (v) collects any tobacco seed without prior authorisation by the Board; (vi) fails to destroy any tobacco plant, seed bed or nursery bed within one week of the date of expiry of a certificate issued to him under this section; [Issue 1] T10 – 8 Revised Laws of Mauritius (vii) fails to produce or satisfactorily account for any certificate issued to him under this section; or (viii) cultivates more than the specified acreage, shall commit an offence. (4) The quota granted to a producer in any year shall bear to that producer’s basic quota the like proportion as the total quantity of leaf tobacco required by the Board bears to the total basic quotas allotted to producers. (5) The acreage allotted to any producer in any one year shall bear to that producer’s basic acreage the like proportion as that producer’s quota bears to his basic quota. (6) Where in any year the total quantity of leaf tobacco required by the Board exceeds 110 per cent of the total basic quotas allotted to producers, the Board shall allot to the producers or other persons such additional basic quotas as the Board thinks fit.