GRM, a leading international project management and consulting firm in partnership with Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation, launched a project aimed at improving the availability of improved seed to farmers in Harare on Monday.
The project known as Seed and Market Project (Samp) is set to contribute to increased agricultural production through availability of high-yield seed variety to farmers.
Addressing delegates at the launch of the project, Samp team leader Alexander Carr said the project is a strategic response to the global increases in food prices and the chronic food shortages in Southern Africa, which requires an intervention to increase agricultural production and ensure food security at household level.
“About 90% of households in Zimbabwe are seed insecure, that is, they are not able to obtain quality seed when they need it and at a price they can afford,” said Carr.
“Instead they rely on seed relief programmes or retained seed from their own production which is often of poor quality.”
GRM international crops and seed specialist Nelson Munyaka said the challenge in the country was that seed was not reaching the farmer at the right time and was often expensive given the proximity of the farmer to the source of the seed.
Under this project communities will be capacitated to grow their own seed.
“The project will resolve problems associated with supply, availability and cost associated with procurement of high-yield variety seeds, which famers in most rural areas hardly get and afford.”
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“Through the community seed production project, seed will be made available to farmers cheaper compared to those offered by commercial seed companies, as they will not incur exorbitant costs of transportation and logistics.” Samuel Muchena of Africa Centre for fertiliser Development said the community seed production programmes are a step in the right direction, as seed is the ultimate resource that determines food security and hunger.
“Lack of high-yield seed has for long had a devastating effect on the yields for farmers in Zimbabwe; efforts such as these should be commended and supported by all stakeholders,” he said.
Seed and markets programmes is a three-year project being implemented in Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Lesotho funded by the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation.
In Zimbabwe a pilot project is underway in Zaka, Masvingo, set to benefit 1 000 farmers.
