‘Regulation can help reduce seed prices’

Evangelical Association of Malawi programme director Edson Musopole has said the harmonisation of seed regulation currently taking place in the Sadc region will not only ensure availability of seed within the region, but also improve the nutrition status at country level.

Speaking during the Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (Fanrpan) policy dialogue in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, this week, Musopole said most seed companies monopolise the market, making the seeds too expensive for smallholder farmers to afford.

“If the seed regulations are harmonised, they will be readily available to farmers, which will further bring about increased production. In addition, there will be variety of seeds on the market,” he said.

Musopole said with the effects of climate change, there is need for farmers to access a variety of seeds on the market.

Fanrpan chief executive officer Lindiwe Majele Sibanda said it is time African countries started producing enough food to feed themselves.

“As Africa, we need to be able to produce enough. We have good land, lakes, pretty much everything needed to succeed in this journey. We want to share ideas to our stakeholders on how we can go about making ourselves self-reliant,” she said.

The organisation every year organises dialogue meetings which bring stakeholders from across the African region and beyond to find solutions to agricultural problems on the continent.