Seed Co launches SC W9104 to bolster wheat resilience ahead of 2026 season

SEEDCO

By Staff Reporter

HARARE — Seed Co has unveiled a new flagship wheat variety, SC W9104, positioning it as a timely response to mounting challenges in Zimbabwe’s wheat sector as farmers prepare for the 2026 winter cropping season. The company says the variety combines improved yield potential, enhanced grain quality and resistance to emerging diseases — attributes that could help stabilise production amid climate variability, rising input costs and increasing disease pressure.

Seed Co public relations manager Wendy Madzura described SC W9104 as the result of targeted breeding aimed at adapting to changing climatic and market realities. “SC W9104 is designed to mitigate the impact of stripe rust (yellow rust), a disease increasingly prevalent in Zimbabwe, while offering improved adaptability to warmer winters and other environmental challenges,” she said. The variety, she added, also responds to millers’ and bakers’ demand for superior end‑use quality, including whiter flour colour and stronger baking performance.

The company emphasised that the variety’s performance rests on improved genetics that deliver both agronomic resilience and marketable grain traits. Seed Co highlighted attributes such as disease resistance, stress tolerance, test weight, and protein content as central to SC W9104’s appeal. The firm urged farmers to adopt good agronomic practices to maximise returns, including proper seedbed preparation, balanced nutrient management, timely weed and pest control, and efficient water use.

SC W9104 is being marketed primarily to irrigated wheat‑growing regions, where a reliable water supply allows the variety to express its yield potential. Seed Co noted the variety’s adaptability across a range of agro‑ecological zones, provided essential production requirements are met. The company said seed is now available and encouraged growers to incorporate SC W9104 into their 2026 planting programmes.

The launch comes as Zimbabwe pursues greater wheat self‑sufficiency. Domestic production has historically fallen short of demand, leaving the country reliant on imports and vulnerable to global price shocks. Policymakers and industry stakeholders have pushed for improved varieties and better agronomy to raise yields and reduce import dependence. In this context, SC W9104 is presented as a tool to help farmers increase productivity while meeting quality standards required by the milling sector.

Industry analysts welcomed the introduction but cautioned that supportive policies and access to inputs must match varietal gains. “New genetics are important, but farmers also need affordable fertilisers, reliable irrigation and extension support to translate potential into harvests,” one observer said.

Seed Co said research will continue to refine the balance between yield and baking quality, with ongoing trials targeting gluten strength and other functional traits. For now, SC W9104 represents a strategic addition to Zimbabwe’s seed portfolio, a locally available option that aims to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the country’s wheat value chain ahead of a critical planting season.