By HELEN ZULU –

THE Seed Control and Certification Institute (SCCI) says African countries,  Zambia inclusive,  have failed to achieve the vision of having farmers access improved seed due to  counterfeit seeds on the market.
SCCI director Mable Simwanza said African countries had been experiencing the same challenges which had hindered farmers from achieving the vision of accessing improved seeds.
Some of the challenges include the influx of counterfeit seeds on the market, lack of access to improved seeds by farmers, and dealing with Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds, among others.
Ms Simwanza was speaking at the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)’s Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA) farmer exchange programme in Chilanga.
“I have observed that most African countries have the same challenges and the same vision too.
“It has taken us a lot of time to achieve this vision because of these challenges; we want to be able to see farmers being able to access improved seeds that they can plant and have good yields,” she said.
ACTESA seed development officer John Mukuka said the fake seed on the market had affected yields for farmers in the COMESA region.
Dr Mukuka said COMESA was producing only half a million tonnes of seeds while it needed more than two million tonnes.
He said it was for this reason that COMESA was working hard to ensure that there was food security in the region by harmonising seed trade so that there was increased production of food.
“With the growing of the population in the region, it is  important that we increase our production, but we can only do that by producing quality and improved seeds in the region,” he said.
Farmers from East African countries are in the country on  a two-day visit to learn how Zambia deals with the challenges being faced in the seed sector.