The Africa Vegetable Breeding Consortium highlighted at the 2020 African Seed Trade Association Congress.

WorldVeg Global Plant Breeding Lead Scientist Peter Hanson and Regional Director for West and Central Africa Coastal & Humid Regions Victor Afari-Sefa were among the more than 275 delegates attending the 2020 African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) Congress in Livingstone, Zambia from 2 – 5 March 2020. The two were there to promote the Africa Vegetable Breeding Consortium (AVBC), an initiative of WorldVeg and AFSTA established in 2018 to foster development of a strong vegetable seed sector in Africa.

Although the Congress attracted fewer participants than expected due to the emergence of COVID-19, those that were present enjoyed exciting interactions and technical presentations on ways for the seed industry can contribute to food security and tackle declining agricultural productivity. One area of particular interest was how to effectively manage waste, including expired seed, waste water, empty chemical containers, seed bags and expired fertilizers.

The WorldVeg team connected with representatives from local, national and international seed producers and dealers to learn more about consumer trends and their plans and prospects for future growth of the sector. WorldVeg Lead Entomologist and Flagship Leader for Safe and Sustainable Value Chains, Srinivasan Ramasamy, addressed the delegates in a presentation on “Eco-friendly approaches for plant health management in vegetable production in Africa” via ZOOM.

Victor gave an update on the status of the AVBC at the joint steering committee of the Special Interest Group on Vegetables (SIGV) and Special Interest Group on Field Crops (SIGFC), noting the 2020 AVBC workshop scheduled for 8 – 10 September in Cotonou, Benin. The consortium currently has nine members. AVBC membership is open to AFSTA members in good standing. The consortium focuses on African eggplant, amaranth, onion, pumpkin, mungbean, pepper (chili and sweet), and tomato, and aims to support companies of all sizes—small, regional and international—in sustainably meeting the needs of vegetable farmers and providing more choice to vegetable consumers in Africa.