Transcript THE SADC SEED REGULATORY SYSTEM

THE SADC SEED REGULATORY SYSTEM
Background
 In an effort to emulate success of the green revolution in Asian countries,
the FAO had a program of supporting the development of the Seed
Sector in the developing world to improve food production.
 Denmark was one of the countries funding the program through the
Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).
 Through the DANIDA funding, the SADC Secretariat was able to
commission a baseline study of the SADC Regional Seed Industry
culminating in the compilation of the 1988 DANAGRO Report.
Findings of the Report
 Seed industries in the respective SADC countries were at different stages
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of development and some countries depended solely on imports.
Some countries had seed legislation and others had non and those with
legislation had different seed certification requirements and seed quality
standards.
Duplication of effort in variety testing and release in that a variety which
has been released will be subjected to the same routine in the next
country whereas the agro-ecological conditions are similar.
Retesting of seed by importing country which had already been tested by
the exporting country.
Tertiary institutions in the SADC were not offering courses on Seed
Technology.
Findings of the Report
 Inadequacy of qualified seed sector personnel in some countries.
 All the above shortcomings delayed the farmers access to new
technology and good quality seed.
Recommendations
 Establishment of a Regional Seed Centre for training the seed sector
personnel.
 Harmonization of the seed legislation/regulations in the Region which
commenced in the early nineties.
Status
 After elaborate consultations with seed stakeholders in the Region, the
MoU on seed variety release, seed certification and quality assurance,
and quarantine and phytosanitary measures for seed was finalized in
2008.
 The MoU was subsequently signed by a majority of the Ministers of
Agriculture in the Region in 2010.
 Individual countries are at different stages of aligning their legislation to
the MoU.
Are we on track to realize the vision?
 The light at the end of the tunnel is now visible.
 Other spin offs of the process include the enhancement of networking of
stakeholders within the Regional Seed Sector.
THANK YOU.