Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has disclosed that the population in the COMESA countries is increasing at 2.3%, while food production is increasing at 2%, a situation that has brought about food insecurity in the region.
COMESA Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Dr Kipyego Cheluget says within the agriculture sector, access to improved or quality seed is low at 23% by the 80 million small-holder farmers.
Dr. Cheluget says this has resulted in low productivity especially on cereals like maize, sorghum and pearl millet.
He has however, stated that COMESA has harmonized seed policies for all the 19 Member States and also a regional strategic plan, the COMESA Harmonization Implementation Plan (COMSHIP).
Dr Cheluget explains that the common goal of COMSHIP is to implement the gazetted COMESA Seed Trade Harmonization Regulations to enable increased improved seed production, quality, reliability, trade and competitiveness of the seed industry.
The COMESA Assistant Secretary General said this in Lusaka today during the official launch of the COMESA Seed Committee Meeting.
Speaking at the same event, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Permanent Secretary Julius Shawa says currently, Zambia is producing 80, 000 metric tones of certified seeds of maize, wheat, soya beans, cotton, sun flower and other small crops with about 20, 00 metric tones exported annually.
Mr. Shawa explains that since independence, more than one thousand varieties of seed have been released to the farming community and that more seed varieties will be released.