SeedCo assures country of adequate hybrid seed stocks for 2024/25 farming season
Staff Reporter
Seed Co Zimbabwe, one of the country’s largest hybrid seed processors, says it will continue enhancing its thrust on innovation, breeding climate-smart products to catch up with the demands of the ever – changing climate conditions.
The seed – producing entity says it has significantly invested in research and development mainly at the Kadoma, Muzarabani, Shamva and Stapleford research stations.
Shamva and Stapleford stations are dedicated to disease resistance and yield while the Muzarabani and Kadoma focus on breeding climate-smart varieties that can withstand drought and extreme weather conditions.
According to SeedCo, strides have been made in making a product basket with different maturity ranges mainly enhancing the 400 series (Tsoko) going down to 301 series (Tsuro), varieties which are specific for drought conditions and are able to withstand extreme weather conditions.
The 301 and 303 series were well received in the market in the prior season as farmers sought varieties that could resist the El Nino induced drought.
Seed Co’s Research and Development department efforts are now directed towards coming up with the 200 series which is likely to be introduced in due course.
On the vegetables side, Seed Co is working on varieties that are suitable for the ever-changing climatic conditions.
The vegetable department has mainly been focusing on breeding crops that are disease resistant, marketable, enhanced taste, storable and uniformity in size of the fruit.
All these attributes are very important for the end market, according to Seed Co Zimbabwe acting managing director, Felistas Ndawi-Gurajena.
“We are in a dry season, we have a drought, as was declared by the President (Mnangagwa) recently, and as Seed Co, we have a strategic initiative to produce products that can withstand extreme weather conditions.
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