How will we remember the time that we are living now? May be, it will be remembered for many years to come as one of the uncertainty. The word is facing unpredictable crisis with COVID-19, which is bringing new challenges, including to small holder farmers, seed system and seed security response. While the pandemic has put many countries under lockdown and brought normal activities to halt, seed delivery system has been greatly interrupted since, seed market has been unable to function steadily.
COVID-19 will likely to have a pronounce consequences on seed security even in the absence of other stresses like drought. Countries that depends mostly on imported seed are more vulnerable as the shipment has been slowed down and their currencies has been plunge against dollar resulting reduction on purchasing power. As the gathering of any size are now a danger to a community, seed companies and associated sectors are unable to produce seed effectively. Farmers feels devasted as they are unable get quality seed during planting time. Agro-vets, formal and informal market these days are being held less frequently reducing the farmer’s ability to access quality seed and the ability to exchange or purchase seed. Physical distancing can also be expected to reduce the seed exchanges among local farmers who usually seeks seed off-farm. Farmers are already facing the stresses of locust attack, drought then, COVID-19 pandemic has also triggered new crisis overlapping with existing stresses. Depending upon how long the pandemic and associated problems persist, seed security could feel impact of COVID-19 long into future.
Amidst the uncertainty of COVID-19, an assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on seed sector is needed urgently to explain potential seed crisis and propose solutions to fill massive seed shortage. Hence, government bodies and seed sector should collaborate to identify priority step for enhancing resilience in seed security globally. Initiation of community seed bank approach and utilization of available ecological and biological diversity of indigenous and underutilized plant would also play a remarkable role to enhance seed security in sustainable manner. Promoting local seed will also ensure seed availability during this pandemic. Investment on farmer’s seed production system will obviously reduce the current country’s dependency on imported seed and will also significantly reduce the dependency for long term. This might be the prime time for all of us to learn and sharpen our approaches to strengthen seed sector especially market channel that prove more resilient and most important for seed security.
