STATUS OF THE COMESA SEED HARMONISATION PROGRAMME (COMSHIP) John Mukuka, COMESA Seed Development Expert. June, 2018
COMESA COVERAGE Size: 11.6 Million sq. km Population: 510 million (2018) GDP: $950 billion (2017) ---------------------- 18 June 2018
EAC (ASARECA)- SADC- COMESA COMESA Burundi Comoros DR Congo Djibouti Egypt Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Libya Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Rwanda Seychelles Sudan Swaziland Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe SADC Angola Botswana DR Congo Lesotho Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Swaziland Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe South Africa Seychelles ASARECA Burundi DRC Ethiopia Eritrea Kenya Madagascar Rwanda Sudan Tanzania Uganda EAC EAC Kenya Uganda Tanzania Burundi Rwanda Comoros Djibouti Egypt Libya COMESA SADC ASARECA
COMESA SEED PROGRAMME Being implemented by ACTESA, Specialised agency of COMESA to integrate smallholder farmers into national, regional and international markets through an improved policy environment and expanded market facilities /services Seed Harmonized started in October, 2010, concluded in December, 2012 with Ministers of Agriculture approving the COMESA Seed Trade Harmonisation Regulations in September, 2013 and COMESA Council of Ministers in February, 2014 COMESA Seed Harmonisation Implementation Plan (COMSHIP) validated by technical experts in April, 2014 and approved by COMESA Council of Ministers in March, 2014
SEED PRODUCTION IN COMESA COUNTRIES Total seed production in COMESA averaging 500,000MT Total regional seed trade about USD 1.4 billion COMESA Requirement is about 2 million MT Seed production examples in COMESA Ethiopia 150,000MT (government seed enterprises) Zambia: 120,000MT Kenya: 45,000MT Zimbabwe: 55,000MT Malawi: 40,000MT Rwanda: 8,000MT Uganda: 15,000MT Burundi: 5,000MT Current available seed is of unknown quality
COMSHIP STRATEGIC FOCUS VISION IMPLEMENT COMESA SEED TRADE HARMONIATION REGULATIONS LEADING TO INCREASED SEED PRODUCTION, RELIABILITY, TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS OF THE SEED INDUSTRY IN THE COMESA REGION SO1.0: Prepare for, and support of Phased domestication SO 3.0: Monitor and improvement of the COMESA Seed System (M&E Strategic Focus SO2.0: Awareness creation at all levels SO 4.0 COMESA Seed Capacity Building and Smallholder Support Programme
OVERALL GOAL OF COMSHIP?
COMSHIP CURRENT STATUS PREPARE FOR AND SUPPORT PHASED DOMESTICATION
STATUS DOMESATICATION Burundi GAZETTED Comoros COMSHIP launched in July, 2017 Djibouti National Seed Regulations being developed with support of FAO DR Congo Draft aligned national seed regulations awaiting Parliament endorsement Egypt COMSHIP team to work with the CASC and Egyptian Seed Trade Association Eritrea COMSHIP launched in March, 2018 Ethiopia Draft aligned variety release and phytosanitary regulations to be validated in 2018 Kenya GAZETTED Libya Alignment not yet done Madagascar COMSHIP launched in December, 2014 Malawi GAZETTED Mauritius National Seed Regulations being developed with support of FAO Rwanda GAZETTED Seychelles COMSHIP launched in July, 2018 South Sudan Status of the Seed Industry assessed awaiting endorsement by seed stakeholders Sudan COMSHIP launched in November, 2014 Swaziland Roadmap for alignment agreed / developed Uganda GAZETTED Zambia GAZETTED Zimbabwe GAZETTED
COMSHIP COMMITTEES UP AND RUNNING 2 nd COMESA Seed Committee, Egypt, Feb, 2017 3 rd Seed Advisory Committee, Uganda, April, 2017 3 rd Seed Technical Working Group, Uganda, April, 2017 2nd COMMAF Core Meeting, Nairob Kenya, Sept, 2017
COMESA SEED TRAINING PROGRAMME A total of 270 (23% female) trained in the period June-July, 2016 Variety Release Trainers of Trainers Phytosanitary and Quarantine Seed Certification Customs Seed
COMESA VARIETY CATALOGUE Six companies have registered namely MRI/ Syngenta, Seed-co, East African Seed co, Monsnto, Dupont Pioneer, Pannar Seed, HZPC Holland 40 varieties registered for regional seed trade with 9 about to be registered from Naseco, HZPC Holland and Western Seed co, etc.. Seed crops currently include: maize, Irish potatoes, common beans, soyabeans, wheat, sorghum and groundnuts Details: https://varietycatalogue.comesa.int/web/login
COMESA SEED LABELS MODALITIES MEETING 21 st February, 2018 Modalities on the printing, use and distribution of COMESA Seed Labels and Regional Certificates agreed COMESA Seed Labels and Certificates to be ready soon and feedback meeting from seed companies expected, October, 2018
CURRENT STATUS AWARENESS CREATION OF COMESA SEED TRADE HARMONISATION REGULATIONS
AWARENESS CREATION COMSHIP launched in 18 COMESA Member States, On Awareness Creation, over 13,500 COMESA Seed Trade Harmonisation Regulations and 3,000 brochures / folders printed and distributed
CURRENT STATUS MONITORING AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE COMESA SEED TRADE HARMONISATION REGULATIONS
COMSHIP MONITORING AND IMPROVEMENT ReSAKSS developed COMSHIP M&E framework COMMAF developed by Core-Team in September, 2018 COMSIS ready and to be validated in First Quarter of 2019
WAY FORWARD
WAY FORWARD 2018-2021 Support all COMESA Member States in aligning to the COMESA Seed System Support annual meetings of the COMESA Seed Committee (mandated to deal with challenges as they arise) Validation and Implementation of COMSIS and COMMAF Support Seed Companies with varieties on the COMESA Variety Catalogue to trade using COMESA Seed Standards efficiently and effectively in 2018 and beyond Support Member States Labs accreditation with ISTA and develop country specific COMESA-ISTA training programme in line with COMSHIP
THANK YOU