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West African seed companies are thriving thanks to the harmonization of regulations, industry players acknowledged at a regional meeting that just ended in Abuja, Nigeria.

Governments, development and research actors have been working together over the last decade to implement a policy that would allow the free circulation of seeds in West Africa. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development(USAID) and implemented by CORAF on behalf of three intergovernmental bodies, these efforts appear to be beginning to bear fruit.

"Regulatory harmonization has made it easier for my company to trade between the different countries in the region," explains Karim Traore, Seed Regulatory Manager at Bayer Crop Science/Monsanto Burkina Sarl. This company is present in five West African countries.

Eliminating obstacles to the free movement of seeds across borders is one of the fundamental principles of this policy.

"Having access to a regional seed market with fewer barriers to seed trade contributes to the growth of seed companies," says Dr Mohammed Umar, Permanent Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Nigeria.

According to the Nigerian government official, small seed companies are emerging to supply quality seeds to farmers in Nigeria and other West African countries. Nigeria accounts for 60 percent of the total seed marketed in West Africa.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) have tasked CORAF with facilitating the adoption of this policy in West Africa.

"Only with the participation of the private sector will we be able to produce the volume of seed needed to meet the high demand," explains Dr Abdulai Jalloh, CORAF's Director of Research and Innovation.

ECOWAS is one of a number of intergovernmental bodies concerned with the free movement of seeds. As a regional economic tool at the service of regional integration, ECOWAS's objective is to make its policy of free movement of people and services in West Africa a reality.

"If a researcher discovers a seed variety in any ecological zone, that variety, if approved in one member state, can be multiplied and sold in another. So it's a mechanism that brings all the benefits of working together in the same community," said Mr. Sekou Sangare, ECOWAS Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources.

What's the background?

To ensure effective implementation of seed regulations, stakeholders have set up a committee known as the Comité régional des semences et plants de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (CRSPAO). This body meets once a year to take stock of progress made, with a view to taking appropriate corrective measures or actions.

Its fifth meeting took place from October 16 to 18, 2019. This is usually an opportunity for all stakeholders from governments, the private sector, donors and research institutions to review progress.

"I have noted the commitment of all stakeholders to meet the challenges that exist in the input sector and in particular in the seed sector. It is very essential to give the private sector an important place in this process because they are the ones who will challenge us and they are the first beneficiaries of this regulation," said Mr. Abdrahamane Dicko, Program and Policy Advisor, Regional Office for Economic Growth at USAID's West Africa Regional Mission.

Some sixty players from seventeen countries took part in the Abuja event.

Towards full implementation

While there is consensus on the progress made in implementing this policy, member states agree that issues such as the registration of new seed varieties, the effective transfer of certain prerogatives to the private sector, and the challenges of regional seed trade between West African countries need to be addressed in order to make quality seed readily available to farmers in the sub-region.

At a recent meeting in Nigeria, stakeholders took steps to ensure that these issues are addressed at national and regional levels. Specifically, the Abuja meeting recommended the following:

• Strengthen the mobilization of decision-makers to support countries and the sub-region in the full implementation of regional regulations;
• Mobilize funds to implement activities in each country ;
• Strengthen the ability of Member States to better integrate all the provisions of harmonized regulations;
• Strengthen communication around the regulation to ensure that it is properly disseminated and that stakeholders have the information they need to implement it;
• Strengthen collaboration with other organizations working in the seed sector;
• Strengthening private-sector involvement in the seed industry ;
• Develop or establish reference laboratories for seed quality control and certification, and encourage member states to be accredited to OECD and ISTA standards.

"Several countries are already well advanced in implementing harmonized seed regulations, but we still have a few countries that are lagging behind. We need to support them a little more so that they can catch up with the others and be at the same level of implementation of the regulations," remarked Dr Hippolyte Affognon, Coordinator of the Partnership for Agricultural Research, Education and Development (PAIRED), a USAID-funded program charged with promoting implementation of the harmonized regulations.

Read also:

• Harmonized regional seed regulations: the first signs of a windfall for companies
• West Africa assesses progress in implementing harmonized regional seed regulations
• Implementing harmonized seed regulations in West Africa: What's the way forward?
• Private Sector Growth Real Measure of Seed Regulation Success'.
• "CORAF's support has been crucial to the success of our business".