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    Zim signs SADC seed charter

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    Harare, (New Ziana) Zimbabwe on Monday signed the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) seed charter that will govern the cooperation of member states in seed certification and quality assurance.

    Speaking at the signing ceremony, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said the move was significant to Zimbabwe as it was coming ahead of the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit next month when the country will assume chairmanship of the regional body.

    “The harmonisation of trade within the SADC region fits well with SADC’s industrialisation policy because most of the countries in the region are agro-based in terms of activity. It is important that their agricultural sectors begin to speak to each other,” he said.

    Dr Masuka said this is achievable if member states collaborate at various levels such as ideation, research and development or tertiary education institutions level, adding that the manifestation of research and development is good crop genetics. He said the harmonisation of regulations allows for standardisation, exchange and trade.

    “So, this is a facilitatory mechanism to ensure that we are able to exchange germ plasm, to accelerate agricultural development in the face and the midst of climate change.”

    “It is in this regard that the SADC Seed Centre that will be established in Zambia becomes this coordinating platform, but as member states sign the agreement to protect the varieties and protect our plant breeders while allowing for commercial exchange,” he said.

    Zimbabwe stands to benefit greatly from the arrangement through its very strong research and development and innovation and technology transfer system within the seed sector, he said.

    Many private sector seed companies in Zimbabwe have representation in the region, which will allow them to expand their footprint and ensure that the country can provide more germ plasm, particularly maize.

    “We also know that in terms of tobacco production, Zimbabwe already supplies seed to quite a lot of SADC countries and this will allow for us to be able to increase markets and our footholds in those countries and also allows us to explore innovations and new genetics that may come from those jurisdictions so that we are not left behind,” said Dr Masuka.

    Speaking at the same event, SADC programmes officer for crops Esaiah Tjelele commended the Zimbabwe government for playing a leadership role in the region.

    “Most of us will recall that Zimbabwe was one of the frontliners that established SADC. So its not by chance that today Zimbabwe is one of the first countries to sign this legal instrument that will ensure that the region is seed secure,” he said.

    He said for the past decade the region has experienced a number of droughts and other natural disasters like floods, which had a huge impact on seed availability.

    New Ziana

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