adminAshley Mujoma
PLANT Genetic Resources (PGR) are the critical resource for improving crop productivity, a leading expert has said.
Dr Dumisani Kutyawo, the chief director in the Department of Research and Specialist Services, in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries Water and Rural Development, said PGR was key to the realisation of the region’s primary goal to achieve sustainable agricultural productivity.
He was speaking at the ongoing Genetics Resources Centre regional training workshop being attended by participants from 13 SADC countries.
“Plant Genetic Resources are at the centre of provision of diversified agri-food systems, adaptation to climate change and building resilience, among the vast farming community in the region.
“Our recent experiences, reflecting on the value of plant genetic resources, are drawn from the case of Cyclone Idai, which struck Zimbabwe and our neighbours Mozambique and Malawi in 2019.
“We had to rely on the germplasm from the Genebank to restore local seed systems and food security in the affected communities of Chimanimani in the eastern parts of the country,” he said.
He urged other SADC states to promote community genebanks, saying they were important for food security at household level.
“This training is an essential step in bridging this gap,” he said.
Online Reporter