Authorities say there is need to strengthen regulatory system if Malawi is to deal with production of fake seed.

Director in the Department of Agriculture Research Services (DARS) Wilkison Makumba made the remarks in Lilongwe during a Media breakfast on strengthening seed systems through the operationalisation of the country’s Seed Act 2022 organised by the Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET).

According to Makumba, establishment of Services like the Malawi Seed Regulatory Commission is a viable step towards ensuring that farmers are not sold counterfeit seed.

He said: “We would like to strengthen the regulatory services which will be having more powers on its own, it will have its own board that will govern the Authority and indeed we want to increase on the funding so that they are able to monitor the seed on the market.”

Makumba added that government is currently working on mechanisms that would assist in monitoring seed processes in the country.

“We are coming up with some mechanisms that will indeed the help the Authority to monitor those that are pushing the fake seed into the market,” Makumba said.

CISANET National Director Lilian Saka said the engagement with the media is a significant step towards ensuring that farmers are well informed on good quality seed.

She said: “It’s important that the media know about the Seed Act because you can help us, you can ask the right questions to demand that it begins to get operationalised.

You can help us by spreading the message, we need every farmer, every Malawian to know that counterfeit seed is a problem and that we have an Act that is there to help us  address the problem, the media has the tool, you have the vehicle to send that message.”

According to CISANET, lack of consensus among stakeholders, inadequate understanding of the challenges of poor quality seed on the market and mixed messages of quality seeds, farmers indicate confusion are major challenge derailing operationalisation of the Seed Act.