STAK Calls for a Robust Seed Sector to Achieve Kenya’s Food Security

It is the position of The Seed Traders Association of Kenya (STAK) that the livelihood of Kenyan farmers, the health of our economy, food security, and the size of our foreign reserves depend upon the success of the partnership between research, policy, and regulatory entities in public and private sectors.

“Kenya’s seed sector is faced with major challenges which must be addressed consultatively as we all agree failure is extremely costly,” the Seed Traders Association of Kenya (STAK) CEO said this while announcing plans for its upcoming Annual Congress and Expo, that will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, in November between the 8th and 9th , 2016 at Safari Park Hotel. He urged players to work together to help make Kenya a food secure country. STAK says some of the major challenges facing the seed industry are:

Insufficient certified seed material
Apart from seed for the major grain cereals like maize, rice and wheat, the country still experiences shortage of seeds e.g. legumes and vegetables.

Low adoption of improved seed and complementary technologies
It is estimated that apart from maize and vegetables, the informal seed sector accounts for about 80% of total seed used.

Inconsistent legal and regulatory framework
Though this has largely been addressed, the regulatory framework and lack of harmonized seed policies and standards in the region is still a major challenge.

Prevalence of adulterated seed in the market
The reviewed Seed and Plant Varieties Act provides for more deterrent penalties, while enforcement and persecution still remain weak.

Additionally, the sector is still faced with high costs of seed, inadequate suitable varieties for marginal areas, insufficient technical skills and infrastructure for new technologies, low funding of seed research, and lack of centralized germplasm conservation and utilization centre, though this is to be partially addressed by the Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) Regulations.

Policy, Advocacy and Training
To address this, STAK has engaged the government and come up with the following regulations: The Seeds and Plant Varieties (Plant Breeders Rights) Regulations 2016, The Seeds and Plant Varieties (Seeds) Regulations 2016, The Seeds and Plant Varieties (Variety Evaluations and Release) Regulations, 2016.

These regulations will provide for a sustainable financing system for research and development, germplasm conservation, extension, quality control and capacity building to fully exploit the potential of improved varieties and technologies, for increased agricultural and forestry productivity.

They will also establish an effective regulation to coordinate and manage all activities within the seed industry in order to tap synergies and maximize resources for enhanced efficiency, including eradication of prevalence of adulterated seeds. They will also build capacity and infrastructure within the seed industry to handle research and development, quality control, technology transfer, and other emerging technologies such as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), and Information, Communication and Technology (ICT).

Enactment of these regulations will facilitate the creation of an enabling environment, through legal and policy reforms, for effective participation of both public and private sectors in the production of cost effective and quality planting material, harmonize regional seed policies and regulations to enhance cross border trade in seed, and monitor seed supply situations in order to ensure adequate strategic seed reserves.

According to law, these Seed Regulations will not need to be subjected to Parliamentary (National Assembly or Senate) approval. It is therefore a matter of time before they become operational, but sign off from the Cabinet Secretary; Agriculture which will be a major achievement for STAK. This is now with the Attorney General office for drafting.

STAK is a member of African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) and in partnership with other partner associations; they have been working on a COMESA Seed Harmonization Implementation Plan (COMSHIP). In a meeting held in September this year, member states presented update status and thereafter a work plan. Kenya presented the formation of a national technical working group that will oversee agreed activities for the next one year. The composition of the group includes STAK, Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries (MoALF), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIIS), Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and seed companies.

Through the Kenya ICC National Office, STAK is also a member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), which is the largest and most representative business organization in the world. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has established national committees worldwide and in 21 African countries, Kenya being the latest entrant. ICC provides a platform for its members to have a global development advocacy platform that opens global markets, access to latest market intelligence and trade regulations.

Public-Private Partnerships
STAK is also a member of Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), and they have participated in a number of forums through KEPSA, including the Presidential Round Tables, focusing on agriculture and irrigation. To ensure quality seeds into the market, STAK in partnership with other stakeholders in the industry is developing an operational framework for agro-dealers to weed out unrepeatable dealers from the industry.

One other challenge Kenya has been facing is lack of comprehensive seed usage statistics. To counter this, STAK is working with Agri- Experience funded by Kenya Markets Trust (KMT)) to conduct an industry survey on trends in crop seed for the period 2013 to 2015 The information will provide the much needed statistics that will be useful for policy lobbying and influencing. STAK says that for agriculture to succeed, it must be innovate and respond to farmers’ needs, whilst it must also be also profitable and efficient. One key challenge to ensuring this success is crop disease, especially Maize Lethal-Necrosis. The disease has a negative impact on maize yields, which consequently affects both the economy and food security in the country. STAK has partnered with International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AAFT), in addition to seed companies, to help manage the menace. It is in this view that STAK is collecting data on Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND) hotspot areas to aid the industry stakeholders in coming up with interventions to reduce risks of the disease.

Interactive Platforms
Seed Sector Platform Kenya is an interactive industry database on crop varieties, agro dealers and industry participants, plus more. This has evolved based on public and private partnership discussions among many players in the sector. Policy makers, KEPHIS, KALRO, crop seed companies, farmers, investors, industry support firms, agro dealers and many more have added their voices to a vibrant dialogue about the information needed to ensure that Kenya’s farmers have access to critical resources which hold potential for great crop harvests: high quality seed of improved varieties suited to farmers’ specific agro ecologies.