ZIMBABWE will from March 3-5 2015 host the African Seed Trade Association Congress (AFSTA) at Elephant Hills Resort in Victoria Falls. Established in 1999, AFSTA was created out of the need to have a regional representative body for the seed industry, which also serves to promote the development of private seed enterprises. This was also borne out of the realisation that quality seed is the most important agricultural input without which use of fertiliser, irrigation, crop-chemicals or improved management practices were unlikely to produce the crop yield increase needed to enhance food security in Africa. Speaking in Harare, AFSTA vice-president, Seed Co managing director, Denias Zaranyika, said AFSTA was formed in Malawi out of the need to have a body that looks at the entire seed value chain and how it can be improved so that the farming industry benefits.
“Initially, there were 27 members but the body has grown to boast of 100 seed traders , while the vision of AFSTA is to be the principal organisation at the centre of achieving sustainable food security through use of quality seed for improved livelihoods in Africa,” Zaranyika said.
The conference will cover areas like seed legislation, seed certification, variety release, plant property rights, biosafety, seed production, crop protection, seed marketing, packaging, labelling, harmonisation and institutional arrangements. Keynote speakers include the guest of honour Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made and International Seed Federation president Alvaro Eyzaguirre (from Chile) and presenters from the Common Markets of East and Southern Africa.
“Through this congress, we are posturing Zimbabwe as an agricultural country, as a peaceful country and we are posturing Zimbabwe as the leading country in Africa in terms of agricultural activities. This is an opportunity to reclaim the breadbasket status and we must reclaim it,” Zaranyika added.
Zimbabwe Seed Trade Association chairman, Walter Chigodora said stakeholders were interested in attending the congress with 300 delegates having registered to attend the event by end of January with more expected before the start of the congress. Of the 300 delegates, 280 are foreign delegates.
“It is a major event for the seed industry and is expected to attract key players from Africa and abroad to discuss current and future pertinent issues and trends in seed production and marketing. It is also a platform to accentuate the importance of the seed sector in attaining food security in Africa and how delegates can play a key role in influencing responsive policies, rules and regulations that govern the seed industry in particular and the agricultural industry in general,” Chigodora said.
AFSTA aims to promote trade in quality seeds, strengthen communication between the African seed sector with the rest of the world, interacting with regional governments and non-governmental organisations involved in seed activities in order to promote the interests of the private seed industry and facilitate establishment of national seed trade associations in Africa. This is the first time that Zimbabwe has hosted the regional function which brings together stakeholders in the seed industry in Africa, with over 500 delegates expected to attend the congress. Next year the congress will be hosted by Kenya and Zaranyika will take over from the current president Nicholas Goble (South Africa).