Producers decry slow adoption of certified seeds
Seed Trade Association of Malawi has challenged farmers to adopt the use of certified seeds to boost agriculture output.
The association’s business development officer Supply Chisi said this in an interview yesterday following concerns of low adoption of certified seed.
He said: “As a country, we have not invested in educating our farmers on the need to buy and plant certified seeds every year.
“Sometimes poor grain prices are a result of sourcing seed from the informal sector, resulting in low yield and making the cost of production high. Furthermore, recycling results in poor quality of the produce, thereby affecting the markets.”
Chisi said to improve adoption of certified seed, promotion which may take a form of subsidies, is critical.
The association’s data shows that the country requires between 40 000 and 45 000 metric tonnes (MT) of certified maize seed.
But the association only produces about 50 percent of the potential demand and selling about 45 to 60 percent of the produced seeds.
On the other hand, while demand for legumes hovers around 20 000 MT, seed firms only produce less than 7 000MT as most farmers recycle the seed.
