By Mekonnen Teshome
Access to quality and improved seed is only 20%
Addis Ababa : Out of the 90 million small-holder farmers in the COMESA region, only 20% have access to quality and improved seed, COMESA-ACTESA Chief Executive Officer Dr John Mukuka stated.
Dr. Mukuka, CEO of Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA), COMESAโs Specialized Agency, said this in Addis Ababa today, August 7, 2024, during the commencement of a sensitization workshop that came following the gazetted Ethiopian seed proclamation 1288/2023.
He underscored โThe potential of total seed market in COMESA region is at 2 million MT of quality and improved seed; however, the region is currently producing and accessing less than 500,000 MT of quality and improved seed. This is equivalent to 2% of the global seed production and value.โ
According to the CEO, the gap in the required quality seeds supply and the demand has affected about 130 million of people out of total 610 million the COMESA population resulted in food insecure, experience chronic poverty and hunger.
He said that the challenges of the seed market are attributed to the fragmented market into small national ones in the region. โEach country operates its own seed policies and regulations different from other COMESA Member States, โhe added.
Director General of the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority (EAA) Ambassador Deriba Kuma in his opening remark at a regional sensitization workshop on seed trade harmonization under the coordination of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) said that the harmonization effort incentivizes both government and the private sectors, widens the market space, and facilitates better choices for farmers, he said.
Ambassador Deriba urged stakeholders in the seed sector to join hands in the common trade initiative that it is โnot an option but a โnecessityโ.
โThe reason is because in the implementation of the COMESA aligned new seed proclamation we all have a role to play. I assure you that my government remains committed to the development of a vibrant seed system.โ
Ethiopia taking strides in seed the sector
He reiterated that the Ethiopian government has taken various key measures including the establishment of his Authority to regulate quality, safety, efficacy and efficiency of agricultural products, inputs and services in both plant and animal sectors.
โThe seed sector has started to be managed properly from the Minister’s hierarchy. Two major committees consisting of key organizations including the seed association and private representative have been established to solve the problems in the sector, one is led by the Minister of Agriculture himself as string committee and the other is led by the Agricultural Research Institute as technical committee.โ
Ambassador Deriba highlighted that the recent fundamental financial policy shift on economic liberalization including floating the local currency to the market in Ethiopia would create an additional enabling environment to succeed in seed business.
The government has also endorsed the Agricultural and Rural Development Policy that supports the sector in general and the seed sector in particular, he pointed out, adding that it has also committed itself to be part of the regional harmonized seed trade by aligning its national law like COMESA and IGAD.
Deputy Director General of the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority Wondale Habtamu (PhD fellow), also on his part said that, promulgated under the revised new seed law, referred to as โSEED PROCLAMATION 1288/2023โ, Ethiopia has domesticated the COMESA harmonized seed trade regulations, which is expected to facilitate the free movement of seed across the region.
โThe regulatory reports showed that an average of 1.2 to 1.4 million qt of seeds produced locally are certified in each year, very fluctuating amount of seeds mainly vegetable seeds are imported, 120- 150 candidate varieties are evaluated and of which 60 to 70% are accepted,โ the Deputy Director General noted.
The overall objective of the Workshop is to clarify the newly endorsed seed proclamation to major seed stakeholders, both government and private actors, Wondale told participates of the workshop.
Therefore, he said, seed trade, import and export including the variety registration system, Seed Certification and Phytosanitary can be facilitated based on COMESA Seed Trade Harmonization Regulations.