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Sifelani Tsiko-Innovations Editor
Zimbabwe should regularise informal farmer seed exchange systems through the establishment of appropriate laws to curb the monopolistic tendencies of large seed companies and enhance the utilisation of indigenous seed varieties.
Veteran agriculturalist and executive director of the Community Technology Development Trust Andrew Mushita said this recently at a meeting to validate the findings of a baseline study on utilisation of farmer varieties and review of the policies and laws governing seed systems in Zimbabwe.
The study was done under the Markets and Seeds Access project (MASAP) which is being implemented in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
“We are all aware that agriculture is essential for driving economic development and improving food and nutrition security in the country,” he said.
“It is against this background that there is a need to formalise the farmer-managed seed system which sustains more than 80 percent of the smallholder farmers’ livelihoods.
“As a country, we should regularise the farmer-managed seed system through the creation of appropriate legal framework and regulations.”
Current local seed laws make it a crime for farmers to plant and exchange uncertified seeds.
However, many small-scale farmers rely on informal exchanges of seeds with their neighbours to secure their food supply.
Mushita said it is important for the country to interrogate the current seed policies and laws to help the country to come up with a new National Seed Policy that is inclusive of the farmer-managed seed system.
Adrian Nguchini, deputy director for strategic policy planning in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development said it is important to advocate for policies that empower farmers and promote the usage of farmers’ varieties as a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture in the country.
“Throughout our sessions, we have engaged in meaningful dialogue that highlighted the importance of farmers’ varieties not only as a means of enhancing agricultural productivity but also as a vital component of food security and biodiversity,” he said.
“The baseline survey report has provided us with essential insights into current practices and challenges faced by farmers in utilising these varieties.”
Zimbabwe has the formal channel of seed exchanges where registered seed companies manage the production, processing, packaging and distribution of seeds.
The second seed distribution channel is informal and involves the production and exchange of seeds among small-scale farmers under conditions that critics say are characterised by a lack of seed testing, formal registration or quality control.
Online Reporter