‘Seed Co’s innovations shield Zimbabwe from climate chaos’
LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
Seed Co Limited’s innovative seed varieties are at the forefront of Zimbabwe’s fight against climate change, ensuring the country meets critical food security needs amid increasingly erratic weather patterns, a top government official has said.
Zimbabwe faces unpredictable rainfall and prolonged dry spells each cropping season due to climate change, creating mounting pressure on the agricultural sector.
At the Seed Co Annual Field Day held last Wednesday at the Rattray Arnold Research Station, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri highlighted the vital role the country’s seed industry plays in tackling these challenges.
“We are seeing that as we continue to respond to climate change, we are in a safe place because climate-smart varieties and crops are being developed at this station,” Professor Jiri said.
He praised Seed Co’s 85-year legacy, noting that companies like it have positioned Zimbabwe as a regional leader in robust seed systems.
“We know we are in a good space, come climate change, geopolitical instability, or any other shocks that may affect our agricultural industry,” he added.
In a move to boost both food security and climate resilience, Seed Co officially unveiled two new crop varieties. The SC449, a pioneering, very early-maturing maize variety, is designed to withstand dry spells, while a new white wheat variety directly responds to millers’ preference for white flour.
“Over and above that, we are seeing a lot of varieties under development,” Jiri said, highlighting near-market-ready innovations including white and red sorghum, pearl millet, sunflower, and yellow maize varieties critical for livestock feed production.
“Our stockfeeds industry requires yellow maize, and we now have a number of varieties almost ready for the market. In the next few years, we should be able to guarantee enough seed for stockfeed manufacturers,” he said.
Seed Co Managing Director Felistus Gurajena underscored the company’s commitment to empowering African farmers.
“Our efforts past, present, and future have always been driven by the singular goal of empowering the African farmer,” she said, reflecting on Seed Co’s evolution from the development of the world’s first single-cross hybrid maize, SR52, into a pan-African seed powerhouse operating in over 15 countries.
She noted that the launch of SC449 was a deliberate response to climate change challenges.
“You have seen this in the newly launched SC449, a very early maturity, high-yielding variety with a very good disease package,” Gurajena said, placing it alongside resilient hybrids like SC303 and SC419.
