Seed traders, multipliers, agro dealers and institutions that develop plant varieties and avail quality seeds to farmers have created an association to promote the seed industry.

The National Seeds Association of Rwanda (NSAR) was launched on Thursday in Kigali.

Speaking at the launch, Dr Geraldine Mukeshimana, the minister for agriculture, urged association members to transcend challenges to develop the seed industry.

"Seeds mean a lot to sustainable agriculture development. Having quality seeds value chain will lead us to achieving our goals in economic growth as the country aspires to achieve middle income status. Seeds sector is essential in achieving households and national food security,” said the minister.

"As key players in the seed industry, you must go beyond the challenges facing the sector and avail quality and affordable seeds that will help to increase production.”

According to the National Seed Policy, seeds are classified into four classes; foundation (pre basic) seeds that are generated from parental material and produced under direct control of a breeder or duly accredited representative; basic seeds that are from the multiplication of foundation seeds in accordance with the rules of variety selection.

Others are certified seeds that are from the multiplication of basic seeds whose quality has been approved through official certification process, and quality declared seeds that are declared by the producers as being in conformity with technical and quality standards governing seed production.

Innocent Namuhoranye, the chairperson of the National Seeds Association of Rwanda, said joining efforts will contribute to agricultural development.

"As seeds multipliers, dealers, and other stakeholders involved in the seed industry, this will be a platform for us to share experience, challenges and knowledge. This will undoubtedly enable us to come up with new seeds that can cope with the challenges facing our agriculture sector like weather change,” Namuhoranye said.

For Felicien Iriniga, a seed multiplier in Nyagatare District, the association will ease farmers’ access to improved seeds.

"We always fail to avail seeds to farmers due to few multipliers. With this association we will see more people trained on seed multiplication, which will bring seed multipliers closer to farmers. For now, you can find one or two seed multipliers in the whole district which forces people to use traditional seeds,” Iriniga siad.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw