COMESA Seeks End To Barriers On Seed Trade

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) is seeking to remove trade barriers in the seed sector in order to boost production and improve stability and competitiveness in the sector.  

The regional body is calling on members to adopt its Seed Trade Harmonisation Regulations, which it hopes will incentivise investment by companies in the sector. As it stands just seven of the 21 Comesa countries have harmonised the sector’s regulation, namely Burundi, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

A recent report form the Access to Seeds Foundation has highlighted that companies in the region are yet to commit to investing in hybrid and high-yielding seed varieties.