The Botswanian legislation does not mention “plant biostimulants” as such, they are rather covered under the wider term of agrochemicals. These, according to key legislation “Agrochemicals Act (Chapter 35:09), are defined as such: ”agrochemical" means any organic, inorganic or live biological material intended or offered for sale for purposes of-_ _(a) destruction, control, repulsion, attraction or prevention of any undesirable life forms injurious to plant and animal growth; or_ _(b) promotion or inhibition of plant growth such as fertilisers, growth regulators, hormones, defoliants or legume inoculants”._

So, biostimulants would have to fall either under growth regulators, inoculants or fertilisers.

The Agrochemicals Act (Chapter 35:09) covering such agrochemicals establishes a regulatory framework for the registration, licensing, control and safe handling of agrochemicals in Botswana. It prescribes registration procedures, certificate validity and variation, and licensing requirements including training, assessment, suspension and revocation.

The legislation sets also penalties for noncompliance, mandates labelling, record‑keeping, publication of regulatory actions, and provisions for temporary permits, appeals and regulations to manage importation, manufacture, distribution, promotion, use and disposal of agrochemicals to protect health and the environment.

All agrochemicals, and hence also plant biostimulants, must be **registered** before being owned, used, imported, manufactured, advertised, distributed, or sold, except for those used for research or in transit to another country.

What it means in practice, if you are considering placing your plant biostimulant on the Botswana market:

First, make sure you classify your product correctly. For instance: Does your product “promote or inhibit plant growth” (this wording is in the Agrochemicals Act) or is it more akin to a fertiliser/soil amendment/biostimulant? If it is described as a “growth regulator” or has claims of controlling or repelling pests? If the latter is the case, it it may clearly fall under the Plant Protection Act.

If the product is claimed to improve nutrient use efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, quality traits etc (typical biostimulant claims), you should check if Botswana explicitly treats biostimulants differently (i.e., whether they are regulated under agrochemicals, fertilisers or not separately). I did not find a specific biostimulant‐only regulation in Botswana in my search. A direct contact with the authorities is always advised.

In case your product is confirmed to be eligible under the agrochemicals act, you will need to register or obtain a licence for importation/manufacture/distribution. The Act covers importation, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal.

Then, you will have to check the data requirements to apply for the registration of your product (efficacy, safety, environmental impact), fees, labelling, packaging, etc.

If you are importing your product, you must comply with the import provisions under the Agrochemicals Act (assuming it applies).

Also check relevant customs, labelling, packaging standards.

Check your label and advertisement material; you’ll need to ensure your promotional claims and labelling are compliant.

If your product falls under fertiliser/soil amendment rather than pesticide, you might still have to comply with fertiliser labelling or standards.

If your product includes microbial inoculants, live organisms or otherwise plant material, you may need to consider the Plant Protection Act/regulations (importation of organisms that might be pests, beneficial organisms, etc). Also environmental/biological safety considerations might apply.

Last but not least, it is advised to check for any [Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) ](https://bobstandards.bw)or Ministry of Agriculture guidelines on fertiliser/soil amendment inputs to see if your biostimulant may fall under such standards.

Need help with your product for the Botswana market ?

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us !

We are always happy to help,

The sciBASICS Team.