‘Certified seed critical for food security’

Mchinji Seed Monitoring Committee vice-chairperson Harris Chikoti says certified seeds are crucial to achieving food security.

He said this on Wednesday during a one-day meeting in Mponela, Dowa on the Seed Act of 2022.

Chikoti highlighted the significance of cooperation among committee members in ensuring farmers access authentic seed in line with the new legislation.

“Let us work together, ensuring that farming communities access genuine seeds that will yield more. We have gained new knowledge and our role is to make sure that farmers buy authentic seed to achieve food security,” he said.

Chikoti said they will formulate by-laws in the district to punish agro-dealers selling fake seed.

Seed Services Unit agronomist Suzgo Nyirongo said Parliament in April 2022 reviewed the 1996 Seed Act to have a new law as the 1996 Act had a narrow definition of seed.

He also said there was no independent regulatory body and a well-established variety release system. Besides, there was also an absence of a regional harmonised seed certification and quality assurance system.

“Definition of seed was not inclusive enough and left out some types of crops such as vegetatively propagated crops and there is now tremendous growth of the seed industry which has created capacity challenges for Seed Services Unit to ably regulate the seed industry,” said Nyirongo.

During the meeting, the Mchinji Seed Monitoring Committee with its Kasungu counterpart reviewed by-laws used when monitoring seed in the districts.

The meeting was supported by Civil Society Agriculture Network, which is working with seed monitoring committees in some districts in the country.

The 2022 Seed Act, which was recently assented to by President Lazarus Chakwera, has also been gazetted.

This legislation is expected to enhance the regulation and oversight of seed production, certification and distribution across Malawi