CTDT is implementing a pilot project on Seed production and marketing in Chikankata and Shibuyunji districts. The Farmer Seed Enterprise (FSE) being implemented in the Sowing Diversity equals Harvesting Security (SD=HS) project is aimed at addressing issues related to seed accessibility, increase household’s incomes and ultimately improve the food and nutrition security in these rural communities.
Aliness Kalamo is a woman small-holder farmer in Shibuyunji district now a seed grower. “We have been facing challenges accessing seed because of the high prices on the market. CTDT taught us about seed production and later supplied us with seed; with this the issues of seed accessibility will reduce especially in the coming seasons because we have it in our hands and currently multiplying it,” She said.
“We face a lot of challenges in accessing seed because even in the government’s farmer input support program (FISP), the inputs are delivered late, at times forcing us to plant late; we are always faced with fear because of the uncertainties in the current climatic. We are optimistic that with this program, we will be planting in good time because the seed is in our hands,” she added.
Eugene Mutempa also a seed grower from Chikankata district says he has learnt a lot of things from time the project started. “There are a lot of things we have learnt, from learning about how to plant the crop as well as general crop management. In the past, we would just plant anyhow, but from when we learnt, we have now known how to properly manage our crops to produce good quality seed.”
Charles Jere from Shimonde FFS in Shibuyunji also a seed grower is elated to be part of the project. “Am happy with this project, most especially that our local seed like go by-red has been added for multiplication. The challenge we face is accessibility of our local seed because most it has been lost and the little that has remained is in the hands of a few farmers; we like our local seeds because it is adapted to our local environment and we have grown it for many generations.”