Farming begins with a seed – a seed that has undergone years of research, trials, and stringent regulation. The journey from seed to market involves a robust legal framework that ensures farmers receive high-quality, resilient seeds tailored to their needs.
Dr Magdeleen Cilliers, project and research officer at the South African National Seed Organisation (SANSOR), shares a comprehensive overview of the intricate process involved in developing new seed varieties and ensuring their availability to farmers.
Cilliers notes that ensuring a sufficient supply of seeds for farmers is a complex and lengthy process, starting with research and development by seed companies.
“It doesn’t just happen, and it starts right at the beginning where seed companies will start doing research and development. And they will start breeding new varieties for specific challenges that farmers have, for example, climate change or different diseases,” she says.
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Navigating the regulatory landscape for seed approval
Despite advancements in technology, breeding these new varieties can take between 12 to 15 years due to the extensive input and costs involved.
Once the new varieties are developed, companies conduct trials to ensure they are suitable for different regions within South Africa.
“This is really to protect the farmer, to make sure that the seed is of good quality, and that the seed that is being sold to the farmer will germinate. There are certain standards that the seeds have to adhere to according to our national law,” she explains.
According to Cilliers, the trials also provide valuable data for marketing the seeds. However, before seeds can reach the market, they must pass through South Africa’s regulatory system, which includes applying for variety listing.
“These tests take between two to three years and are done by the government. Thereafter, only then will the company start producing the seed and multiplying the seed,” Cilliers shares.
In this episode, Cilliers also discusses:
- The Plant Improvement Act;
- Seed development and intellectual property rights (IP) and more.
Dive deeper into the episode and gain insights from the award-winning Farmer’s Inside Track, officially recognised as Africa and the world’s best podcast at the 2024 Digital Media Awards presented by WAN-IFRA, the global press organisation.
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