Farmers in the country may soon have access to certified seeds from other countries within the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa region. Nineteen African countries among them Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Lesotho have introduced a regional protocol that allows the use of certified seeds from other countries within the region. It is expected it will attract close to 1500 participants including heads of states, ministers, policy makers, farmers, the private sector, academia and other stakeholders. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett said according to the policy, if a seed has been tested in two countries and certified, it can be moved and used in other countries within the region. “We have seen through our collective effort across the agriculture sector that there are innovations, institutions, programmes and policies that work.

Source: The Star June 22, 2016 01:52 UTC