mbulelo smpofu
There is need to review the penalties imposed on bogus agro-dealers who cheat farmers by selling counterfeit or fake seeds, an official said.
Permanent secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri said this while officiating at the Write Shop for Reviewing, Updating, and Realigning Zimbabwe’s Seed Certification Regulatory Framework workshop in the country’s second largest city on Friday.
The event, hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry, aims to align the country’s seed systems with international and regional best practices.
Currently, Zimbabwe’s seed certification scheme, which was gazetted 25 years ago, falls short of complying with international and regional systems.
The local scheme, along with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Seed Schemes, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) Seed Scheme and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Seed Schemes, has different minimum standards, posing challenges for seed producers and traders.
“Farmers and value-chain players in the seed sector have been calling for a review of these punitive measures for a long time. As such, the need to review, realign, and update the Seed Certification Scheme Notice 2000 cannot be overemphasised,” Jiri said.
He emphasised that agricultural development and food security remain government’s top priorities due to their significant contribution to rural transformation aimed at fostering industrialisation and economic growth.
“This Write Shop comes at an opportune time as it complements government efforts towards transforming agriculture in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the national blueprint to drive the attainment of Vision 2030.
“It is widely known that agriculture is two to four times more powerful at reducing poverty than any other sector,”he said.
Prof Jiri said seed security is a critical success factor in agriculture, adding that there is a need to ensure that quality seeds are accessible and supplied in a timely manner at affordable prices.
He commended the efforts of both the public and private sectors in scientific and agronomic research and innovation.
“If we get agriculture right through modernisation of research, innovation and product testing, then we are guaranteed a solid base for agricultural production and food security,” the secretary said.
Prof Jiri also commended the role that the seed sector is playing in government programs such as the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Climate Proofing concept, saying it is through this close collaboration that the nation remains food secure.
He noted that crop production faces challenges such as emerging pests and diseases (fall armyworm, locusts) and climate change realities, which pose serious threats to food security and ultimately economic growth and development.
Against this background, Prof Jiri implored the research directorate (Ariss) and the seed industry to double their efforts in the hybridisation of traditional grains and accelerate genetic gains to help build resilience in agriculture and food systems for the sustenance of livelihoods.
He called for collaboration among all stakeholders in the agriculture sector to pave the way for a regulatory framework that not only guarantees seed quality, but also drives productivity and sustainability. — New Ziana.
Online Reporter