BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
EZULWINI- His Majesty King Mswati III has outlined Eswatini’s efforts towards achieving seed sovereignty, highlighting the upgrading of the country’s gene bank, seed multiplication and the training of farmers in seed production.
The King was speaking on Tuesday night during the dinner at Ezulwini Palazzo, where he officially opened the inaugural Africa Seed Summit.
He said the Kingdom had instituted various interventions in pursuit of seed sovereignty, including upgrading its gene bank to facilitate the conservation of indigenous plant genetic resources.
“Work is also under way to multiply our seeds and germplasm,” said the King.
He said Eswatini had also trained farmers in seed production, with some groups already engaged in small-scale seed production and other agricultural initiatives.
The King, however, acknowledged that there was still considerable work to be done before the Kingdom reached its desired level of seed production.
He said this was why Eswatini welcomed partnerships, investment and the sharing of experience with fellow African Union member states and development partners.
The King said Eswatini subscribed to international principles relating to its developmental aspirations, particularly those concerning agriculture, food and nutrition security, environmental management and the sustainable use of natural resources.
He said seed was fundamental to food production and food sovereignty, describing it as the “genesis” of all.
The King said the growing world population and the challenges posed by climate change made it necessary for Africa to invest in resilient agri-food systems.
He said the continent also needed to improve its plant genetic resources through the breeding of climate-resilient cultivars.
The King said Africa had naturally adapted and resilient plant and animal species whose genetic resources needed to be conserved to sustain production and avoid extinction.
He said these resources were Africa’s inheritance and the raw material for climate-resilient varieties that farmers would need in the years ahead.
The King also called for consideration of health and environmentally friendly technologies as Africa developed its seed systems.
He said educating people on the appropriate use of different technologies was important so that innovation could earn the trust of farmers and consumers.
He further stressed the importance of indigenous knowledge systems in sustaining livelihoods, particularly for vulnerable communities.
“Our approach must therefore be inclusive of the smallholder farmer and the rural homestead of our people,” he said.
The King said Africa’s seed systems could also contribute to addressing unemployment through vibrant agricultural value chains.
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