Regional Rice Seed Training at Mwea Aims to Bolster East African Food Security

The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization center in Mwea has concluded a high-level regional training program aimed at transforming rice production across Eastern and Southern Africa. The initiative targeted critical gaps in the seed value chain to ensure farmers gain access to certified, high-yielding crop varieties.

The intensive capacity-building program drew agricultural researchers, specialized seed growers, and field extension officers from six nations, including Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. Organized in partnership with the Korea Program on International Agriculture Kenya Centre, the exercise focused on modern cultivation technologies, post-harvest innovations, and strict regulatory standards required for certified seed approval.

During the official opening session, Kirinyaga County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Dr. John Gachara, emphasized that cross-border partnerships remain vital for regional agricultural growth. The executive noted that collaborative platforms allow local institutions to absorb international best practices while tailoring solutions to the unique climatic conditions of East African farming blocks.

The training combined theoretical modules with field learning, during which participants toured the modern certified rice seed processing facility at Kirogo Farm. The field tour provided the regional delegation with practical exposure to commercial seed cleaning, sorting, and packaging protocols that maintain genetic purity and high germination rates.

KALRO Deputy Director General for Crops, Dr. Alice Murage, commended the international partners for funding the collaborative exercise. She urged the continent’s scientists and extension agents to aggressively deploy their new skills back home to establish robust domestic seed distribution networks and shield smallholders from poor-quality counterfeit grains.

Center Director for KALRO Mwea, Dr. Ruth Musila, co-hosted the event alongside Dr. Ji Gang, the Director of the KOPIA Kenya Centre. Dr. Musila concluded the forum by stating that quality seed forms the foundation of any successful agricultural transformation, expressing confidence that the shared knowledge would significantly lower production costs and raise paddy yields across the continent.