1. Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa COMESA INITIATIVES IN ENHANCING ACCESS TO SEED BY FARMERS Julius Mathende Paper Presented at the FANRPAN Organised Seed Security Workshop Johannesburg, South Africa, 20-21 May 2010

2. OUTLINE Background on ACTESA Issues and Decisions Related to Seed ACTESA/COMESA Initiatives in Seed Development & project areas Partners in Seed Development Partners in Seed Development

3. WHO IS ACTESA Specialised Agency for COMESA Objectives Objectives – Improve policy environment and competitiveness – Improve and expand market facilities and services, and – Increase commercial integration of producers into national and regional markets.

4. FOCUS AREAS Cereals and Pulses Roots and Tubers Oilseeds Horticulture Tree Crops Forestry products Livestock Agricultural Inputs

5. MAJOR ISSUES IN S SAHARAN AGRIC Low Productivity Low Fertiliser Use – Nutrient Mining Adoption of Improved/quality seed Intra Regional Trade Export/Import Restrictions

6. MAJOR DECISIONS TOWARDS REDRESS MAJOR DECISIONS TOWARDS REDRESS MDG 1 G8 L’ AQUILA DECLARATION 2009 – G8 Agrees to fund agric to tune of US$20b in 3yrs Abuja Fertiliser Summit – 50kg/ha by 2015 AU Maputo Declaration 2007 – 10% of National Budgets towards Agric Sitre Declaration of 2009 – Agriculture sustainability key to prosperity Seychelles Declaration on Seed by COMESA Ministers of Agriculture of 2008

7. IMPORTANCE OF SEED Major Component of Green Revolution Trinity No seed or planting material – crop agric doomed Contribution to Productivity Gains 1% in productivity gains leads to 2- 3% poverty reduction

8. ACTESA/COMESA INPUTS MKT DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES FIVE PILLARS OF INPUTS MARKET DEVELOPMENT COMESA AGRO INPUTS PROGRAMME -EC COMPONENTS (INTERVENTIONS) – Enhance Capacity to Deliver Rural Credit – Agro Dealer Development – Seed Policy and Supply

9. MEASURES TO ENHANCE SEED SUPPLY & TRADE Regional Seed Policies & Regulations Harmonisation and Rationalisation Regional Seed Policies & Regulations Harmonisation and Rationalisation – 19 Member States Focus Areas – Variety evaluation, release & registration – Standards for Seed Certification – Phytosanitary measures (Pest Lists) – Plant Variety Protection – Import/export documentation

10. MEASURES TO ENHANCE SEED SUPPLY & TRADE - 8 LANDLOCKED STATES Regional Seed Policies & Regulations Harmonisation and Rationalisation Regional Seed Policies & Regulations Harmonisation and Rationalisation Approach – Baseline (SADC, COMESA, West Africa) – Stakeholder Workshop on Recommendations & Way Forward – Feedback and Buy-in from Member States – Finalise Report (Concretise Recommendations) – Submit Report to technical committee and policy organs – Draft Legal Instruments – Adoption and domestication

11. MEASURES TO ENHANCE SEED SUPPLY & TRADE Seed Quality and Supply Improvement – Support for Equipment for Seed Certification – Support for Equipment for Seed Multiplication – Support for production of basic/breeders seed – Support for multiplication of seed

12. PARTNERS IN SEED DEVELOPMENT All those who share our vision and wish to work with us – lost sheep most welcome back – Donors, fellow RECs, Farmers, National Governments, Financial Institutions, Insurance Companies, Input Suppliers, Researchers, Extensionists, NGOs, policy makers, press, etc

13. MY EXPECTATIONS Draw lessons on seed harmonisation from others Engage a few partners under the COMESA Agro Inputs Programme (COMRAP) Implementation

14. Thank you for your attention