b'A look at seed industry developments around the globe.The EU outlines future forSTATUS EU highlight two major driversMichael Waithaka, a plant variety rights, R&D ofThe Community Plant Varietyof our future actions. Theresearcher at TASAI said Offices (CPVO) vision towardsfirst one is lean management,although the decline has been new seed varieties in Kenya2026, the Strategic Plan of theto modernize and continueacross the four focus crops, on the decline, New ZealandCPVO for the period 2022- improving the user experiencefewer cowpeas and sorghum 2026 was published Nov. 21,of our tools. The second onevarieties have been released passes Plant Variety2022. The CPVO is a Europeanis horizon scanning, which isover the years and hence the Rights Bill, and SingaporeUnion agency, which managesthe ability to forecast what willexisting varieties are old.the European Union system ofhappen in the future and toWe focused on maize, scientists successfullyplant variety rights coveringadapt to these new changes.beans, sorghum and cowpeas bioengineered an importantthe 27 Member States In my capacity as Presidentbecause maize and dry beans protein in plantsAccording to the CPVO,of the CPVO, I commit toare the most important food Strategic Plan 2022-2026warrant the good executioncrops that feed more than provides an overall vision andof the new Strategic Plan, he85% of Kenyan households, outlines the priorities andconcluded. he said. "Cowpea and sor-focus areas of the CPVO in theThe new Strategic Planghum are important crops in coming years. The documentwas approved by the CPVOthe arid and semi-arid land is also a key portion of theirAdministrative Council on Oct.though green grams have performance management14 in Amsterdam and covers abeen gaining popularity. framework, helping ensureperiod that coincides with theHe said the seeds are that the CPVO achieves itsmandate of Francesco Mattinanot suitable in the formal objectives in an efficient,who is President of the CPVOseed market considering the effective, and consistentsince February 2022. prevailing agronomic and con-manner. Source: CPVO sumer needs in Kenya.Our new Strategic PlanWaithaka added that the is an ambitious roadmap forstudy indicated that Kenyas the next five years, to makeSTATUS KENYA public extension was con-the CPVO more adaptableThere has been a sharpsidered poor because there and resilient, said CPVOdecline in research and devel- were few extension officers, president Francesco Mattina.opment of new seed varie- who did not support the seed Digitalization and moderniza- ties, a new report has shown.sector activities such as the tion play an important role inThis is from 106 seed varietiescommercialization of new the future of the organization.released between 2016-2018varieties.We also need to better under- to 41 released between 2019- He however said there was stand and serve the breeders2021. an increase in the number of and our stakeholders acrossThis is according to a newextension agents employed all the European Union. report by the Africa Seedby private seed companies.We have identified threeAccess Index, which sought toThe number of private strategic goals, which dem- assess the structure and eco- seed inspectors increased, onstrate not only the desirenomic performance of Kenyasbut the Kenya Plant Health to continuously improve theformal seed sector in 2021. Inspectorate Services inner workings of the CPVO,The report shows thatneeds more funding to hire the commitment to deliverbetween 2016-2018, 106 varie- more public inspectors for upon our mission to our stake- ties including 73 maize varie- enhanced service delivery, holders, but also the clearties, seven bean varieties, fourWaithaka said.contribution of the CPVO tocowpea and 22 sorghum vari- The report further showed some of the desired outcomeseties were released. However,that the number of counterfeit of the EU political prioritiesthe number has declined toseed cases reported to seed such as the Green Deal and41, that is 35 maize varieties,companies or to the govern-the Farm to Fork strategy,five beans and one sorghumment declined since 2017.he added. I would like tovariety between 2019-2021. But seed companies said 80/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2023'