SOBBA

Seed Enterprise Management Institute (SEMIs) training at the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Services, University of Nairobi, Kenya 

Between May 27th and June 7th SOBBA’s Managing Director was among over 40 participants from several African seed companies who attended two training courses conducted by the Seed Enterprise Management Institute (SEMIs) under the University of Kenya College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences (CAVS). The training was sponsored by the Alliance for Agricultural Revolution in Africa (AGRA) among others. The objective of the training was to provide participants much needed capacity not only in their seed companies but also to the seed industry in their countries in order to support the seed companies enhance and improve production of high quality seeds for the farmer to augment and increase food production and ease food insecurity.

The training focused mainly on high on the production and seed processing of quality seed. The training was composed of formal classroom lectures and practical sessions at various laboratories and sites visits at CAVS campus. It was participative training as participants shared their strengths and weaknesses with each other. It also covered field trips seed production companies and Institutions involved in the seed business. Some of sites participants visited were the CAVS field station to observe been seed production by the University of Nairobi seed company (UNISEED); the Kenyan Plant Health Inspection Services (KEPHIS); the Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) in Njoro and Katumani and the Dryland Seed Company in Machakos, owned by a former Kenyan seed breeder.

The training afforded the MD much needed exposure to the management of quality seed production, processing and distribution in Sierra Leone where the quality seed production and processing is at it very rudimentary stages.