Feed the Future Southern Africa Seed Trade Project Quarterly Progress Report: Q1 2021

The primary goal of the project is to improve the availability of and access to high-quality seed in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. The project aims to support SADC and Member States' leadership in harmonizing policies and regulations governing seed trade in the region, facilitating seed trade across the region, and integrating small and isolated national markets into one larger SADC-wide market for seeds. The project focuses on four main objectives: increasing the availability of improved seeds in the region, increasing the availability of technologies, management practices, and innovation, improving regional policies to support agricultural growth, and cross-cutting indicators. The project's work with the SADC Secretariat, including the SADC Seed Centre, and in the targeted project countries has spill-over effects in the remaining 12 SADC Member States. The project partners with leading public and private sectors, universities, and other institutions to share technologies, innovations, and management practices with target countries to improve seed value chains and promote a more efficient seed system and subsequent farming systems. Cross-cutting issues, including private-public partnerships, gender and disadvantaged groups mainstreaming, civil society and partner institution engagement, and adherence to the Feed the Future principles, are integral to the success of the project. The project has made significant progress in ensuring the sustainability of the SADC Harmonized Seed Regulatory System (HSRS). Notable updates include the private seed companies' scale-up commitments, which demonstrate confidence in the SADC HSRS. Three seed companies successfully produced 701 MT of improved seed and exported 542 MT to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique during the pilot phase. The success of these pilots led to all three companies committing to scale-up production and trade of high-quality seed under the SADC HSRS during the 2020/21 planting season. In Q1 2021, Seed Co Zambia Ltd. planted hybrid maize seed in Serenje and Mkushi districts, while Lake Agriculture planted in Lusaka, Kabwe, and Mkushi districts. The scale-up is in full swing, with the three companies committed to producing and trading high-quality seed under the SADC HSRS. This development is expected to increase agricultural productivity and profitability, resiliency, and subsequent food and nutrition security in the region. The project's focus countries are Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. However, its work with the SADC Secretariat and in these targeted project countries has spill-over effects in the remaining 12 SADC Member States. The project's major partners include the Southern African Development Community Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Directorate, SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre, SADC Seed Centre, and other regional and national institutions. The project's progress is monitored and evaluated through the Performance Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (PMELP). The project's stakeholders, including private sector companies, civil society organizations, and government institutions, are actively involved in the project's activities and decision-making processes. The project's success is dependent on the effective implementation of the SADC HSRS, which will be the ongoing focus for the remainder of the project. The project's work has significant implications for the region's agricultural sector, with the potential to increase agricultural productivity and profitability, resiliency, and subsequent food and nutrition security. The project's success will depend on the effective implementation of the SADC HSRS, the commitment of private sector companies, and the support of regional and national institutions.