Nairobi, Kenya
September 30, 2014

Two government officials have urged research scientists to keep producing more seed varieties that are high yielding, and are adapted to the prevailing climatic conditions.

During the official opening of the Seed Commercialization Meeting at a Kakamega Hotel in Kakamega County in Kenya, the County Governor Hon Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya told scientists to be more proactive and produce more seeds.

“The solution lies with us. We need to work in partnership between government research centers and private companies who have the ability and networks to reach all the farmers where they are,” said the Governor in a speech read on his behalf by Hon Peninah Mukabane, the Cabinet Minister for Agriculture in Kakamega County.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Sicily Kariuki, the Principal Secretary, State Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, who urged the scientists to bulk and multiply more seeds for the benefit of the farmers.

“We need very high quality seeds in the market, and we need seeds that are acceptable to the farmers,” Kariuki told a team of reporters in Kakamega.

She noted that adoption to certified seeds in the country was only 30 percent, which is a very poor rate for meaningful production of food to feed the country. “The National government is going to subsidize the cost of seed and important farm inputs in this country come next planting season to increase the number of farmers using satisfied seeds,” said the Principal Secretary.

However, Hon Oparanya underscored the role played by AGRA in supporting research on improved seeds, support to seed companies which multiply seed, and the support to small agro-dealers all over Africa to enable the seeds get to the smallholder farmers.

“Our Universities, Ministries, Research Stations and Commercial Banks are some of the institutions that have also benefited from AGRA support,” he said.

“Farmers can now access loans from Banks under the Guarantee Fund initiated by AGRA,” added the Governor.

So far, AGRA has supported development and release of 489 new seed varieties all over Africa, of which 324 varieties have already been commercialized and are being grown particularly by smallholder farmers.

All the seeds developed and released have unique characteristics ranging from disease resistance, drought tolerance, early maturing, high yielding and so on.

“We are working on both the hybrids and indigenous varieties such as finger millet, sorghum among others,” said Joe DeVries, the Director Program for African Seed System at AGRA.
 

Website: http://www.agra-alliance.org

Published: September 30, 2014