Serious reflections on farming as business

P2

Special pullout the nation 10 september 2013

STAM boosting livelihoods

Staff Writer alawis economy is predominantly agricultural, with about 80 percent of the population living in rural areas. A recent World Bank report notes that the sector accounts for more than 80 percent of the country s employment and the majority of the rural population produce 84 percent of agricultural produce. However, while agriculture remains the main source of growth and exports in Malawi, poverty is still widespread in such areas where there is majority of population practising agriculture. Land and water management remains poor and much agricultural production uses degraded soils, leaving crops prone to water and low-nutrient stresses. Strengthening of the agricultural production is thus imperative and, so far, strategies, policies, programmes and projects have been implemented by various stakeholders with the aim of enhancing productivity. Still, availability of fertilizer, capital and good seeds pose a big challenge in agricultural production. A report by International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) labels seeds as a master key to success with cultivation. The report says farmers expectations can only be achieved if the seed is true to the selected variety. Even fertilizer becomes useless if farmers are provided with poor quality seeds. A good and competitive seed industry improvement is thus necessary to provide new varieties for all relevant crops that farmers appreciate. And that is where seed suppliers like Monsanto, Seed Co Malawi Limited, Peacock Enterprises, Pannar Seed, Nasfam, among other companies which provide farmers with seeds, come in. For an intensified agricultural production, such players in the seed industry managed to cooperate through the formation of Seed Trade Association of Malawi (STAM) in 2004 to influence and strengthen

At the helm of STAM: Phiri

policies and regulations that guide seed trade towards sustainability and good reputation to the beneficiaries. Various reports have indicated how the association has assisted the Malawi government and farmers in general in accessing quality seeds and controlling proliferation of fake seeds on markets. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Jeffrey Luhanga, appreciates STAMs efforts in Malawis agricultural production. The Ministry of Agriculture works with STAM in implementation of a lot of activities and farm input programmes. So far our relationship has been highly regarded and continues to improve, says Luhanga. STAM chair, Dellings Phiri, says the association is heavily involved in the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP), a

government strategy to uplift small-holder farmers by subsidising their fertilizer and seeds. Phiri says STAM ensures that the member seed suppliers, which it recommends to the government to be given FISP contracts, are meeting the needs of the farmer through improved quality of seed and service delivery. The seed suppliers that we recommend are only those that have shown proof that they use basic seed from approved sources, and that the seed was produced and processed locally, says Phiri, who is also the managing director for Seed Co Limited. He explains that STAM works with Seed Services Unit (SSU) which is the regulatory body responsible for seed certification, to ensure that the seed produced by its members is indeed of the right quality and has passed field inspection standards.

Since the onset of the subsidy programme, the maize productivity at national level has increased from 1.2 metric tonnes per ha to 2.2 metric tonnes per ha largely due to use of enhanced seed genetics such as hybrid seeds as opposed to OPV maize seeds and recycled maize seeds, beams Phiri. STAMs performance is also seen through the increasing number of members which has grown from 7 to 17 who strictly adhere to the code of ethics of the association. Phiri expounds that this is because the association has a secretariat that is functioning and whose role to the seed industry is visible. However, STAM is still encountering some difficulties, including the major challenge to control proliferation of fake seed on markets. It has been reported that vendors with no certificates

mix any grain with dye and offer it to farmers. Explains Phiri: This has been our major challenge. You find that the farmers, without knowledge of what they are being offered, buy the fake seeds which hardily germinate, leading them to make huge losses at the time of harvest. Even though STAM has tried to lower the incidence of this malpractice through certification of all seed sellers, the seed sector is still affected. The most critical requirement for the growth of the seed sector is the revision of the Seed Act. Our present Seed Act, which was revised some time back, lacks seriousness in curbing seed related malpractices, appeals Phiri, adding that government is already very positive towards revising the Act.n

Special pullout the nation 10 september 2013

By RACHEL KACHALI

aving once suffered from fake seed fallouts, Dexter Banda, a small-holder farmer living in Nsewa Village, in the area of Traditional Authority Malili in Lilongwe district, shares his experience. Banda, who has been a farmer for over 20 years, says he still remembers a time some years ago when his production slumped because he used fake seed. It happened close to 10 years ago. I bought legume and maize seeds at the city market. They looked real and were dyed. I could not wait to plant my good seeds at my already cultivated three-acre field, recalls Banda. He says that the seeds hardily germinated, hence he had to replant, but it was almost too late. In the end, even after applying a good amount of fertilizer, Banda harvested less than 20 bags of maize from a field he used to reap over 30 bags before. He explains: That was because I did not know where to buy good seeds and improved varieties. Things are easier now since we have the Seed Trade Association of Malawi (STAM) which recommends to farmers on genuine seed suppliers. As Banda says, STAM strives to ensure that the seed suppliers are meeting the needs of the farmer through improved quality of seed and service delivery. Wilson Chafutsa, an expert in the Seed Services Unit (SSU,) a regulatory body responsible for seed certification at Chitedze Research Station, explains on the joint effort in seed monitoring whereby STAM officers and government seed inspectors go into the seed market to check if fake seed is being sold out to farmers. STAM strives to make available to the farming community high quality seed of improved varieties. When one is caught selling fake seed, SSU and STAM handle them by taking the matter to court to face charges to do with fake seed proliferation, clarifies Chafutsa. He adds that the association has also become crucial when it comes to payment of some fees by seed companies to SSU and assists government in dealing with seed suppliers who violate their laws. In short STAM helps SSU in crop registration, agrodealer registration, crop inspection, monitoring of seed markets, and resolving

Journey to fake seed supervision

Genuine seed yields better crop: Pannar Seed is one of the credited seed companies conflicts between SSU and seed companies, among others, Chafutsa explains. However, despite the presence of STAM or its working together with SSU, it has been argued that there is little that is achieved on the seed sector because the Seed Act is outdated. Various reports indicate how fake seed sellers, which are taken to court for selling fake seeds, are given light and suspended sentences when their offence entirely affects a farmers crop production. The Seed Act is too archaic and needs to be revised. Whatever STAM is doing, if not backed by the law, is fruitless. Government should thus speed up the revision of the Act. When the Act is revised, STAMs achievements will be visible to all stakeholders and very much appreciated, explains Chafutsa. Even STAMs secretarygeneral, Nessimu Nyama, agrees that the revision of the Seed Act is the most critical requirement for the growth of the seed sector. However, it is appealing to see that government is already very positive towards revising the Act, says Nyama. Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, which works closely with STAM in the implementation of a lot of activities and farm input programmes, including the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP), continues to hail the contribution STAM is making toward agricultural development in the country. PS Jeffrey Luhanga appreciates STAMs involvement in the seed industry and food security. We have been working together, especially in seed industry, and our relationship continues to yield results, says Luhanga. n

Appreciates STAMS involvement in seed industry: Luhanga

Special pullout the nation 10 september 2013

advertISING

advertISING

Special pullout the nation 10 september 2013

Special pullout the nation 10 september 2013

advertISING

advertISING

Special pullout the nation 10 september 2013

Special pullout the nation 10 september 2013

advertISING

advertISING

Special pullout the nation 10 september 2013

10

Special pullout the nation 10 september 2013

advertISING

advertISING

Special pullout the nation 10 september 2013

11

LILONGWE CITY COUNCIL

PRESS RELEASE
Lilongwe City Council wishes to inform the general public that with the powers vested by the Local Government Act of 1998, section 83 sub section 1 (a) - (f) and in line with the Councils mandate to remission of property rates in full, it is on this basis that Lilongwe City Council is informing all property owners who have outstanding city rates arrears within Lilongwe City that the Council will give a waiver of 50% of the surcharges on all outstanding bills for the City rates. This offer is for a period of 60 days starting from 7th October, 2013. Failure to comply will mean full payment to be made by 7th December, 2013 and the Council will not consider any applications for waiver after expiry of the waiver period. All inquiries should be made to the Director of Finance on 01 773 144

Richard C.Z Hara CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.

12

Special pullout the nation 10 september 2013

advertISING