Farmers urged to plant certified seeds

Kasungu Seed Monitoring Committee says it is geared to ensure that all farmers in the district plant quality and certified maize seed in the 2023/24 growing season to improve yield.

The committee’s chairperson Braxton Banda said this on Saturday during a stakeholders meeting on the progress of the Seed System project being implemented in the district with funding from African Green Revolution for Agriculture (Agra).

He said at least 70 percent of farmers in the district planted certified maize seeds in the 2022/23 growing season.

He said: “Last year we were at 70 percent. Our target this season is to hit 100 percent. This is to ensure that farmers harvest high yields from their fields.

“As a committee, we will do whatever we can to ensure that agro-dealers are selling certified maize seed to farmers.”

Banda said the committee has so far facilitated the closure of five agro-dealer shops which were stocking fake seed and the cases are pending in court.

Despite the promising progress, Banda said there is a challenge as some seed sellers have little or no knowledge about certified seed they are supposed to sell. He urged Agra to provide additional training to the sellers on the right maize seed.

Kasungu Police Station police prosecutor Tionge Mtapula also called for the need to orient farmers, sellers and police officers to easily recognise fake seed.

She said lack of knowledge on the difference between certified and fake seed among prosecutors has resulted in failure to win cases against fake seed sellers.

Kasungu district chief agriculture officer Chikumbutso Liwonde said the committee will conduct awareness activities so that all relevant stakeholders should be able to recognise fake seed.

Agra Seed System project officer Mwendo Phiri commended the committee for doing a good job since the project started in the district.