Speaking during a seed dialogue in Kampala recently, farmers under their umbrella body, Eastern and Southern Africa small-scale farmers' forum (ESAFF- Uganda), said most certified seeds especially those freely given out by National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads) and Operation Wealth Creation programme were not germinating in some areas.

 

The conference themed, Indigenous seeds: are they still relevant and able to deliver food sovereignty in Uganda, was organized to discuss the relevancy of local seeds to feed the country. Most farmers say government policies tend to favour commercial seed manufacturers yet they have limited varieties of hybrid cereals, commercial vegetables, and are not interested in seed preservation.

 

Farmers also say the market has been infiltrated by counterfeits, calling for urgent action from government. Proponents of certified seeds say they have advantages: disease-free, weed-free and high-yielding.

 

In Uganda, the department of crop protection at the ministry of agriculture certifies seed companies, with the aim of ensuring that the right quality of seeds is released to farmers.

While there are quality seeds on the market, farmers are unable to tell between the counterfeit and genuine seeds. The Observer spoke to some farmers from different parts of the country who attended the conference and most of them were not happy with the way government agitates for certified seeds neglecting local seeds.

 

Millicent Acen, a farmer from Lira, said that on several occasions she has bought seeds from certified companies but they don't germinate or when they germinate, the harvest is small and of poor quality, but when she uses local seeds the harvest is good.

 

"I have been practicing farming for the last 15 years and I have been using indigenous seeds but in 2012 and 2013 friends advised me to use seeds from shops - which I did in the five acres [where] I planted maize - I harvested less than seven bags yet I used to harvest more," Acen said.

 

John Peter Ogwang, a farmer from Soroti, said: "We want government to prioritize farmer-managed systems for the production and distribution of seeds."

Acen said the problem is that commercial seed companies just manufacture and sell seeds anywhere without doing research on the soils and weather and this leads farmers to get low harvest, hence resorting to local seeds.

 

Just 13 per cent of Ugandan farmers buy improved seeds from formal markets, according to World Bank researcher James Joughin in a 2013 paper. Most farmers use seeds they have saved from the previous season, and some trade seeds with neighbours, hence need for government support on how they can preserve them.

 

Mario Munguachel, ESAFF chairperson, said the issue of extension workers needs to be addressed.

 

"We have no extension officers at village level and those who are there are not qualified. For instance, you can find a hide improvement officer or a fisheries officer heading [district extension services]. These people know less about seeds, we want qualified officers," he said.

Source : allafrica.com