MBABANE – Minister of Agriculture Jabulani Mabuza has signed a Charter establishing the SADC Seed Centre, the SADC Harmonized Seed Regulatory System (SHRSS) and the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) System.
According the Eswatini Government’s statement on social media , the SADC Seed Centre seeks to facilitate the availability of high quality seeds to farmers within the SADC Region while the Charter establishing it aims to govern co-operation of Member States in the coordination of Seed Certification and quality assurance.
Addressing the SADC delegation, Minister Mabuza said, “The signing of the Charter establishing the SADC Seed Centre marks the momentous achievement by the SADC region in terms of addressing the challenges of agriculture development and achieving food security for the people.”
Minister Mabuza also added that, “Eswatini, through the ratification of the various instruments, has aligned herself with the SADC. The enactment or amendment of the legislation (The Seed and Plant Varieties Act 2000 and Regulations) and by practice through the application of the procedures and standards is an indication of Eswatini’s achievement. Eswatini has also ratified the Protocol for the Plant Variety Protection.”
According to the Minister, the signing of the Charter is the final step in the process of ensuring the SADC region is seed secured and able to achieve food security through cooperation and collaborating with other members states in SADC.
