The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is intensifying efforts to harmonize seed regulations across member states in a bid to improve food security and agricultural productivity. Despite agriculture employing over 60% of the population in many COMESA countries, access to improved and certified seed varieties remains a major hurdle.
Speaking during the COMESA Seed Harmonization Implementation Programme (COMSHIP) regional validation workshop in Nairobi, Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Paul Rono, represented by Dr. Alice Murage, emphasized the need for a seamless regional seed system.
“Limited access to improved seed varieties is one of the greatest constraints to agricultural productivity. A harmonized regional seed system will empower farmers to access high-quality, climate-resilient seeds,” he said.
COMSHIP, established in 2014 and coordinated by the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA), aims to create a unified framework for seed certification, variety release, and phytosanitary standards. The goal is to facilitate cross-border seed trade and improve seed availability across COMESA countries.
Dr. John Mukuka, CEO of ACTESA, highlighted the urgency of the initiative, citing a 2015 study showing that 130 million people in the region face food insecurity, largely due to inadequate access to quality seeds. “COMESA needs 2 million metric tons of improved seed annually, but current production stands at only 500,000 metric tons,” he noted.
Mukuka emphasized that the region has the agricultural potential to meet this demand, with fertile land and favorable rainfall. For instance, Egypt consumes 12 million metric tons of barley annually but produces only 4 million, a gap that could be filled by other COMESA nations.
So far, only 10 out of 21 COMESA member states have domesticated the seed trade harmonization regulations. Mukuka called for greater political will and funding, estimating that $10 million annually is needed to operationalize the system, with the EU already contributing €8 million under the RECAMP initiative.
EU Programme Manager Mshuka Kamwela lauded the progress made, particularly the development of the COMESA Seed Information System (COMSIS), which will enhance regional coordination and support farmers with better seed access and information.
