EZULWINI – AU Deputy Chairperson Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi has warned that Africa’s agricultural transformation will remain largely on paper unless countries urgently turn existing seed policies into active investments.
Speaking at the summit, Haddadi stressed that the continent’s primary bottleneck is the slow pace of policy implementation.
“Our challenge is increasingly not the absence of commitments, but the pace of implementation,” she said.
Haddadi highlighted that strengthening seed systems is critical to fulfilling the Kampala Declaration on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2035.
She noted persistent gaps across many member states in seed research, breeding, regulatory enforcement, quality assurance, and certification.
“In many rural communities, farmers still struggle to obtain high quality seeds at the right time, in sufficient quantities, and at affordable prices,” she said.
Haddadi outlined three priorities for structural progress: investment, integration, and accountability. She called for sustained financing across seed-testing laboratories, extension services, and market infrastructure, alongside policies that encourage private-sector involvement and support small and medium seed enterprises.
She further advocated for integrating formal and farmer-managed seed systems, boosting cross-border trade through harmonised regulations, and expanding opportunities for women and young entrepreneurs in agriculture.
“Let us work together to ensure that every African farmer has access to quality seed and that every seed planted contributes to a more food-secure, prosperous, and resilient Africa,” she said.
