KEPHIS Hosts Stakeholders Meeting to Enhance Seed Quality and Seed Certification

Today, the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) convened a crucial stakeholders’ meeting at its headquarters in Karen, Nairobi, to deliberate on key issues in the seed industry. The meeting brought together key players in the seed sector- various seed companies to strengthen collaboration and ensure the availability of high-quality, certified seeds for Kenyan farmers. 

Key topics discussed during the meeting included the status of seed certification in the country and the ongoing efforts to maintain and enhance the quality of seeds in the market. Participants underscored the crucial role of the KEPHIS sticker label as an essential tool for verifying certified seeds and combating the proliferation of counterfeit seeds. The sticker label, a symbol of authenticity, is necessary to protect farmers from fraudulent seeds and ensure the integrity of the seed supply chain. To verify that the seed is genuine, scratch the sticker label to reveal the concealed code and send an SMS with this code to 1393. This service is free of charge. You will receive a message confirming the authenticity and details of the packaged seed.

 The stakeholders also explored strategies to improve collaboration in cracking down on counterfeit seeds, which poses a threat to quantity of food production. Participants emphasized the need for heightened farmer sensitization programmes to educate farmers on identifying genuine certified seeds and the benefits of using quality seeds for improved productivity. The meeting concluded with a resolute commitment to address seed sector challenges. This commitment is aimed at increasing productivity and enhancing food security.

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