Recycled seed threatens tobacco industry

Mavuto Nkhoma, a smallholder farmer in Kasungu, nearly quit growing tobacco last season after being sold fake seeds that failed to produce desired seedlings.

“The seed took weeks to germinate and only a few sprouts came out,” he says. “I worked hard for my nursery beds but never got appropriate seedlings even after weeks of watering.”

Nkhoma who hails from Kajintchi Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Santhe in the district says he was saved by a friend who shared with him some seeds to plant.

His case is just one of the many arising from buying seeds from vendors who sell them uncertified seed.

Despite knowing regulations in tobacco production, some growers still opt to use recycled seed while others are tricked by being sold fake seed.

Another villager Charles Kampondeni attributes this to unavailability and high costs of certified seed, including easy access to recycled seeds.

“Certified seeds are found in selected places, but are expensive,” he says.

Currently, a five-gram packet of certified tobacco seed is going at K10 000 while the Agriculture Research and Extension Trust (Aret), an institution in tobacco research and technology dissemination, is selling the same quantity at K7 000.

Thus, farmers are opting for uncertified seeds, which have become a source of concern in the tobacco industry.

But others argue that what they use is not uncertified seed as such.

Ezekiel Makelo is a tobacco farmer under the integrated production system (IPS). Under IPS, growers enter into an agreement with a tobacco buying company and the company provides inputs and later buys the produce.

He says that even tobacco produced with certified seed varieties from Aret is rejected at markets.

“It is just complicated that one can buy certified seed from Aret and be rejected by a buyer at the floors,” Makelo says.

He calls on Aret and tobacco buyers to agree what varieties should be recommended for farmers.

Aret’s plant breeder Albert Chamango says the rejection of tobacco from certified seed often has nothing to do with the product.

“The rejection is usually about contracts. Some buyers under IPS usually stipulate what kind of seed they want based on the market they have found,” Chamango says.

He still calls on farmers to use certified seeds for their production to guarantee high quality leaf and high sales.

Tobacco produced in Malawi has a reputation of high quality and is much sought after by buyers. There are fears that the intensive use of recycled seed may compromise quality and destabilise the tobacco market.

Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) chief executive officer Kayisi Sadala acknowledges that use of recycled and uncertified is becoming a big problem.

“Farmers are always misled that tobacco from these uncertified seeds has more weight and fetch more on the market,

“But what they don’t know is that these seeds are potentially dangerous in causing diseases which may affect their production,” says Sadala.

He adds that the country’s tobacco has enjoyed the reputation of high quality and that if the trend in use of uncertified seed continues, that status risks disappearing like water on dry sand.

AHL Group, which operates tobacco markets in the country, is also concerned that some growers are investing their trust in recycled seed despite the obvious disadvantages.

AHL Group Communications Manager Thom Khanje says they support the use of certified seed because it guarantees high quality tobacco for farmers and fetches good prices.

Since most growers are complaining about the availability of seed and pricing, Khanje believes the responsibility lies in supplier to make the seed accessible to local farmers.

“Suppliers should make sure that good seed is readily available and at a competitive price. Growers should not fail to buy recommended seed because of high prices and opt for uncertified seed,” he says.

As farmers are now preparing their nurseries, Khanje feels it is important for all stakeholders involved in production to sensitise growers on the importance of certified seed.

One of the players in the industry, Aret, has already put in place measures to reach out to farmers with message on best practices regarding tobacco production

Aret board chairperson Ruben Maigwa says they are planning to hold growers’ outreach meetings to disseminate messages on different issues related to production of the crop including the importance of using certified seeds.

“Many growers lack access to proper information from extension specialists. These meetings offer them that chance,” Maigwa says.

It is hopeful this strategy may help to bring in line wayward farmers who are using recycled seed and salvage the fledgling credibility of the industry already haunted by the global anti-smoking campaign.