By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
MESHAMESHAMESHA
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Management
    • Strategic Plan, 2023-2027
  • Sayansi Magazine
  • Media
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Photos
  • Membership
    • Accredited Members
    • How to Join MESHA
  • IFAJ 2025 Congress
Search
Categories
  • Climate Change
  • Health
  • Biodiversity
  • Agriculture
  • Environment
© 2024 MESHA. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: World Seed Congress: Lobbyists call for partnerships to drive uptake of seed varieties.
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
MESHAMESHA
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Management
    • Strategic Plan, 2023-2027
  • Sayansi Magazine
  • Media
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Photos
  • Membership
    • Accredited Members
    • How to Join MESHA
  • IFAJ 2025 Congress
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 Mesha. All Rights Reserved.
MESHA > Blog > Agriculture > World Seed Congress: Lobbyists call for partnerships to drive uptake of seed varieties.
Agriculture

World Seed Congress: Lobbyists call for partnerships to drive uptake of seed varieties.

Mesha
Mesha Published 7 June 2023
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE
Stephen Muchiri, Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation. He is calling for enhanced partnership for joint advocacy with the seed sector in Africa

By Henry Mangome I sciencejournalist2021@gmail.com

Leading lobby groups attending the World Seed Congress in Cape Town have called for close cooperation between them, seed companies and government to increase the uptake of new seed varieties in Africa.  

Stephen Muchiri, Chief Executive Officer of Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) who represents nearly 25 million farmers, said that seed companies hardly involve farmers when deciding on what crops to research on and breed.

His remarks were shared by Gerald Masila, Executive Director of Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGCC) with a membership of about four million individuals.

The two experts were making contributions in a panel discussion titled Agri-Food Value Chain Opportunities in Africa and Beyond.

Seed companies, they said, should work with other actors in the value chain to participate in formulating and hence recognising government policies for the attainment of food security as well as in enhancing uptake of new technologies. 

Stephen Muchiri, Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation. He is calling for enhanced partnership for joint advocacy with the seed sector in Africa

Muchiri also accused the government of introducing punitive regulations and taxes that stifle farming.

Masila added that there is a big disconnect between the private and the public sectors in seed varieties breeding, which has often led to poor uptake of the new varieties.

He advised breeders to first identify the market demands before deciding on varieties to breed to reverse the trend where investors and donors are the key decision makers, leading to farmers rejecting varieties on offer.

“Market should be the springboard for research undertaking and not the other way round,” said Masila.

He said that farmers hardly adopt new seeds and technologies due to poor communication by the seed sector and distorted information by sources outside the industry.

“The agenda in breeding must address the needs of key stakeholders right from the consumers to the needs of the farmer, be they yield or consumer preferences, for acceptance of the final product,” said Masila.

He said that low research and investments by public institutions have resulted in external investors and private seed companies setting their own agenda in breeding, leaving out farmers in decisions made.

Gerald Masila, Executive Director, Eastern Africa Grain Council says there is need for tailor made seed breeding interventions putting the farmer at the centre of decision making

According to a report by The African Seed Access Index (TASAI), a seed industry research body, the number of varieties sold in 2017 vis a viz varieties released between 2000 and 2017 in Nigeria stood at 33 per cent for maize and 46 per cent for sorghum. For Kenya maize scored 21 per cent and sorghum 37 per cent.

According to Mainza Mugoya, the Regional Coordinator at TASAI, calculating the level of acceptance and uptake of new varieties in Africa remains a grey area because not all countries have updated national variety catalogues. He added that when the private sector releases a variety, they do not always market it immediately as they may first want to test the market before producing large quantities and this may take time.

Muchiri said that for sustained growth of the certified seed sector, governments should stop their dictatorial policies, which leave farmers reeling from the effects of one-sided decisions.

“Government needs to be the convenor and not competitor of the seed sector, with farmers at the centre to ensure correct information flow. Be the regulator and play the oversight role but don’t be dictatorial,” he said.

“Farmers are left on their own and we as an association find it hard to show that we have the backing of everyone in the value chain. This calls for joint lobbying for policies and other matters affecting the seed sector.”

Responding to the concerns by the lobby groups, Seed Trade Association of Kenya Executive Officer Duncan Onduu said that his association is ready to work with farmers and they have already begun to consult with the Kenya National Farmers Federation.

Onduu said it pays to bring farmers on board whenever issues of research arise so that they stay in sync with the research agenda for the realisation of food security.

You Might Also Like

Samburu women turn to kitchen gardens to dodge changing weather patterns

Does Ghana really need genetically modified organisms?

Malawi farmers record huge harvest from genetically modified cotton

Push-Pull technology halts fall army worm rampage

Malawi’s first Bt Maize trials show promise

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Email Copy Link Print
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Previous Article Lakeside city welcomes waste mobile phone app as the world marks Environment Day
Next Article Government asked to regulate sand harvesting in western Kenya
Ethics key as AI and social media redefine science reporting, journalists told
Uncategorised
MESHA gets boost to implement project on Africa-led climate stories
Climate
Presentations from MESHA’s Science Café: Framing Reproductive Health Stories Through Solutions Journalism and Lived Reporting Experiences
Solutions Journalism
Stakeholders out to tackle climate induced malaria surge at Kenya’s coast
Health

Contact Info

Location
Oasis Apartments, Jogoo Road, 3rd Floor
Phone
+254 721 578517
+254 732 229 230
info@meshascience.org

Facebook

//

We are the number one science, health and agriculture journalists network in Africa accessed by over 20 million users.

Quick Link

  • About
  • Sayansi Magazine
  • Accredited Members
  • Mesha Audio
  • My Bookmarks

Top Categories

  • Climate Change
  • Health
  • Biodiversity
  • Agriculture
  • Environment

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

MESHAMESHA
Follow US
© 2024 MESHA. All Rights Reserved.
Join Us!
Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc..

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?