SANSOR continued its support on the initiative to empower smallholder farmers to produce quality seeds of the open pollinated maize (OPM) variety ZM 521 on a legal and organized basis.

Two units were registered in the 2002/2003 season under the auspices of the South African Seed Certification Scheme, one being a basic seed production unit by Madzivhandila College of Agriculture (MCA) and the other a certification unit produced by Mbahela Seed Growers Association, a group of smallholder farmers of Mbahela village at the Tshiombe Irrigation Scheme in the Vhembe district.  SANSOR technical officers were responsible for conducting inspections, whilst at the same time, providing training for candidate inspectors of the Limpopo Department of Agriculture.  It was expected that at least three of the officers would be authorized as soon as they gained sufficient practical experience, as well as successfully completed the SANSOR Training Course at the Technicon Pretoria.

Having complied with all the required certification criteria, seed lots from the two units were subsequently certified.  A special event was organized for the handing over of the Certificates at an official ceremony during August 2003, at Mbahela village.  The occasion was attended by dignitaries such as the local Chief, the Provincial MEC for Agriculture, the President and two line function executives from the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), as well as representatives from the National Department of Agriculture, SADC Seed Security Network, International Maize & Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), German Technical Co-operation (GTZ), seed companies, the media and various other bodies.  The media extensively covered the event, with no less than three screenings on national television.  The subsequent demand for certified seed by locals exceeded expectations and the seed lot concerned was sold out within a very short period, despite it being more expensive than the same variety sold by seed companies.

It was encouraging to see the serious light in which the smallholder farmers regarded their seed production.  Isolation had always been a major constraint at the irrigation scheme.  During the 2003/2004-production season, some farmers in the block disregarded the agreement in Mbahela village that only seed production plantings were to be made within the isolation distance and planted their own seed, of unknown origin, for household use.  The seed producers took the matter to court, where the magistrate ruled that the unwanted productions must be uprooted, undoubtedly the first such case in South Africa.  However, when the seed producers went ahead to help with the uprooting, they were threatened with serious bodily harm and had to flee for their lives.  Their application for registration was subsequently withdrawn.   

The success of the initial seed production by the Mbahela Seed Producers Association led to the registration of certified seed productions by four more villages.  The seed producers themselves covered all costs for the basic seed, registration fees, seals, labels, chemical treatments and packaging.  It was evident that the message of quality seeds had spread and that everybody who heard about this success story, wanted to share in the prosperity it brought.

Eddie Goldschagg
(Manager: Seed Control) of the SANSOR Secretariat
made significant contributions towards the above-mentioned
initiative during the period under review.