Local Seed Business Development and Partnerships in Ethiopia Marja Thijssen, Walter de Boef & Mohammed Hassena

Key partners RegionOrganizationCoordinator AmharaBahir Dar UniversityTadesse Dessalegn Oromia EastHaramaya UniversityNigussie Dechassa Oromia South & WestOromia Seed EnterpriseKedir Nefo SNNPRHawassa UniversityHussein Mohammed TigrayMekelle UniversityFetien Abay General, PartnershipsWageningenMarja Thijssen, Mohammed Hassena ISSD programmeJoep van den Broek

Outline Context: Integrated Seed Sector Development Local Seed Business Development project Regional partnerships What next

Trend of privatization of the seed sector Different objectives: – Public: produce quality seed for food security and rural development – Private: produce quality seed for profit Different crops: – Public: major food crops – Private: profitable seed products Different ways to organize seed production – Public: based on national targets – Private: based on sales figures and predictions Breeding Seed multiplicatio n Marketing

Integrated seed sector development Principles: Different roles of private and public sector Relevance of informal sector (farmer saved) Integrate informal and formal system Economic development and food security Structure of the value chain Focus on professionalization and market orientation

Seed sectors in Ethiopia Farmer saved seed Local food cropsSorghum, Teff, EnsetLocal varietiesFarmer seed Own seed and exchange, local markets Local seed business Variety of food and cash crops Wheat, barley, beans, potato, onion, maize (OPV & HV) Local and improved varieties Certified, ‘GDS’ and informal seed Variation from contractual, marketing, NGO and barter Public seed enterprises Major food and cash crops Maize (hybrid) and wheat Improved varietiesCertified seedDissemination Private seed producers Major food and cash crops Maize (hybrid), wheat and others Improved varietiesCertified seed Contractual towards marketing Private seed companies High value crops Maize and exotic vegetables Hybrid varietiesCertified seedMarketing

Local Seed Business Development Promote the local availability of quality seed of farmer preferred, adapted varieties Support farmer groups involved in seed production, to become: Technically better equipped More commercial More autonomous Marketing at local, i.e. kebele and woreda level Local economic development Local seed security

Local Seed Business Variety of food and cash crops Wheat, barley, beans, potato, groundnut, teff, onion, maize (OPV & HV) Local and improved varieties Certified, ‘QDS’ and informal seed Variation from contractual, marketing, NGO and barter

33 LSB sites in five regions Regions: Amhara Oromia East Oromia South & West SNNPR Tigray  Variation in agro-ecology

Crops

Variation among 33 farmer groups Type of organizations: Cooperatives – seed producer, irrigation, multi- purpose; Farmer Research Groups; informal groups Years involved in commercial seed production: 1997 – 2009 Number of farmers involved: 30 – more than 200 Market arrangements: Contractual to public seed enterprise or BoA; Contractual to Union; NGOs; informal markets

Coordination units at 4 Universities Position, strengthen universities as independent development facilitators Work through evidence based sector interventions Sector specific education and professional development Facilitate innovation and learning at local, regional and national levels Embed all activities within existing structures

Strengthening LSBs Farmer groups supported through: Innovator teams: agri-business, farmer organization and seed experts Who work in close collaboration with local partners: WoA, RSEs, CPAs, NGOs In consultation of regional partners: BoA, RARIs, RSEs, NGOs

Strengthening LSBs Type of support: Training, facilitation, backstopping Small investment grants Targeted actions: cooperative management, financial management, access to basic seed, seed quality assurance, development of business plan and marketing strategy MSc research

Mar 09: Inception workshop; identifica- tion 24 sites Aug: Training innovators and students; Oct–Dec: Analysis & documentatio n sites Jan 10: Regional workshops; Mar: National workshop & seminar; May: national training innovators, partnership facilitators, students Mar-Dec: Implementa- tion action plans; development business plans; Identification of 9 new sites Jan 11: Regional workshops; March: National workshop; May: Seminar & round tables; March onwards: Implementa- tion action plans, working towards LSB consolidatio n Process approach

Local Seed Business Development Habes - Tigray Started as FREG working on PVS with Mekelle university Hiwot SPC: 50 members Fragile environment Local and improved varieties of barley and wheat Bartering system

Local Seed Business Development Marwoled - Amhara region Contract growing for ESE Started as infomal group Marwoled SPC: 127 members Highly experienced farmers Clustering Sophisticated in hybrid maize Towards autonomy in marketing

Local Seed Business Development Kayoo – SNNPR Kayoo SPC: 147 members White seeded bean for Sidama Union on contract Large local demand for red seeded bean PVS, seed production, packaging for local market Degree of autonomy build by SHA

Local Seed Business Development Haramaya – Oromia region Raaree Horaa SPC: 30 members Link with Haramaya University Access to basic seed of potato Good market for quality potato seed Strict quality control system Smart scheme in out growers & membership

2010 production figures for 24 1 st generation LSBs Seed produced of 8 crops of 24 varieties 7 LSBs involved in PVS to increase variety portfolio 2,900 tons of seed produced (1038 for wheat; 819 for maize, 803 for potato) 55% of seed entered formal system (maize, wheat, haricot bean, teff) Seed price 13% on top of grain price (haricot bean) to 233% on top (potato) 2500 farmers obtained average gross benefit of 7,200 ETB Seed produced will serve 170,000 farm households, generating 91 million ETB additional income nationally

Conclusions LSB development LSBs do serve a niche in the Ethiopian seed system, and have the potential to contribute considerably to local seed supply Not one blanket LSB model Consolidation needed Not all issues can be solved at the local level; strategic issues need higher level decision making Regional partnership s

Regional partnerships in seed sector development Establish partnerships that facilitate innovation in the institutional set-up of the seed sector at national and regional level through a two-way learning process B C A

Regional partnerships Common partners Bureau of Agriculture Regional Research Institute Cooperative promotion and marketing University Public seed enterprises Private seed companies NGOs Representatives in regional core group Regional platform

Common issues Quality problem Inefficiency in seed distribution Early generation seed availability Missing links between stakeholders Accountability Low capacity of seed producers Limited participation of private sector ….

Topics address through projects in Quality 2. Marketing 3. Early generation seed Not LSB coordination unit but other seed sector stakeholder is taking the lead in project implementation

Activities in the different regions Tigray Check the quality before distribution Oromia Support seed producers Establish independent certification body SNNP R Awareness creation and follow up Amhara Analysis and follow up Quality

Lessons learnt Out of the box thinking is needed for innovations in the seed sector Can be achieved through linking and strongly involve regional stakeholders Evidence needed (innovation projects) for regional decision makers to promote change

What next: ISSD phase II

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