AGRICULTURAL concern Valley Seeds has inked a new five-year deal with an international partner, as it seeks to cement its position as a leading seed producer and food security company, officials say.
The development comes as government is targeting US$14 billion agricultural industry and the Harare-based company has made significant investments to boost its “seed preservation hub in Juru, recently commissioned a state-of-the-art small grains and vegetable seed production facility to support the horticultural sector in Ruwa as well as developing a stock feed plant in the capital.
“This is more than just a renewal, as it is an expansion of the company’s technological toolbox. As Zimbabwe’s official producer of pannar and pioneer seeds, Valley Seeds will continue to produce the trusted maize hybrids like PAN53, PAN7M-81, P3506W, and PHB30G19, and just as this agreement is a pipeline for global innovation… to a new generation of wheat and maize varieties,” company managing director Aluis Chareka said.
“This strategic partnership also bolsters our commitment to crop diversification, which is critical for national food sovereignty. In line with this vision, we are going to introduce new wheat varieties such as Limpopo and Zambezi which have already proven their worth in the Zimbabwean bread-making or production chain as well as sector,” he said.
“Crucially, the agreement empowers Valley Seeds to selectively licence high-performance varieties from a diverse range of international developers and, thus, creating a robust, multi-brand ecosystem to meet specific climatic and productivity needs of the local market,” Chareka added.
Further, the international synergy not only “allows the company to integrate global genetics with local expertise, Valley Seeds ensures that the Zimbabwean farmer has access to the same calibre of innovation found in the world’s leading agricultural markets.
“The company’s expansion into traditional grains such as sorghum, African Pea and millet as well as continued cotton production through its ownership of Southern Cotton (Private) Limited, aligns with national goals that seek to expand rural industrialisation and value addition,” Chareka said.
With production at manufacturing plants progressing well, Valley Seeds commercial director Tich Mapongah emphasised that the group was “fully geared to meet local market demands by leveraging 30 years of climate and topographic data to localise international expertise or science to ensure seed optimisation for Zimbabwe’s unique environment”.