By Mwangi Muiruri
The government will crack down on unregulated seeds stockists following an influx of uncertified and counterfeit seeds in the market.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri warned that those targeted include roadside and privately owned seed nurseries.
“We are directing the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (Kephis) to carry out a crackdown on all illegal seeds in the market,” he said.
Duping farmers
Kiunjuri said the government is alive to the fact that certified seeds use in the country stands at less than 20 per cent, hence undermining food security.
Speaking during the launch of an avocado seedlings project in Murang’a County last month, he said the government will monitor the seeds sector closely and will strengthen its agencies mandated with seed engineering, packing and placement in the market.
Under the project dubbed “Mulika Mbegu (an eye on seeds)” all uncertified seeds outlets will be closed down and dealers of counterfeits arrested.
To boost food security, Kiunjuri said the seeds sector needs a traceability aspect where a well-defined source, technology, Geo-mapped strengths and disclaimers are transparent for the customer. Kiunjuri said quality control measures will be rolled out in the market to ensure no dealer is duping farmers.
Quality checks
“We will come up with mobile phone-based technology that gives a farmer the ability to seek authentication of seeds on offer. By sending the serial number on the packet to a toll free address, an instant message will be sent back authenticating or otherwise, the seeds,” he said.
Mr Kiunjuri said agribusiness remains the most lucrative sector since it commands more than 30 per cent of direct contribution to the Gross Domestic Product.
“The government recognises that improved seed is one of the critical inputs in agricultural production. In combination with other inputs, the seed greatly enhances productivity,” the CS said.
Former Agriculture Parliamentary Select Committee chairman John Mututho castigated the government for taking too long to realise that without a standardized seeds sector, food security will remain elsuive. “We have cases where the culprit issuing farmers with substandard seeds is the government. Take for instance county governments have been notorious of offering farmers seeds that do not germinate or which are not ideal for area climatic conditions hence wasting farmers time and resources,” he said.
High yields
Mututho said the State has also in some instances failed to advise farmers on seed suitability, authenticity and safety further worsening the situation.
Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Njeru Ndwiga said the proliferation of counterfeit seeds is a major threat.
“We cannot talk of realising maximum agricultural returns unless we first tackle the issue of quality seed for farmers. This is the backbone of the agricultural sector,” Ndwiga said.
Mr Ndwiga added that the country should reform its seed sector.
Ndwiga said seed distribution was inefficient as stockists and retailers gang up with cartels, making the country food insecure.
“This is a country that relies on agricultural economy to create wealth. But over the years, we have not been serious with the way we avail seeds for our farming agenda,” he said.
Ndwiga said while the country has an overwhelming capacity to meet its quality seeds’ need and post surplus, the end result at harvest time indicates that the distribution chain is riddled in corruption.
“Within the last 10 years, production of seeds has been increasing. For instance, in 2008, the country had a 29,000 metric tonnes capacity.
Imports were at a high of 5,000 metric tonnes and we exported about 260 metric tonnes. But that is the period that this country has been experiencing poor harvests occasioned by use of uncertified seeds,” he said.
He added that currently the country has the capacity to stock a surplus of 14,000 metric tonnes of seeds after using 20,000 metric tonnes.
An estimated 80 per cent of seeds in the local market emanate from the informal sector with the 20 per cent being sourced from the formal sector.
