1. high quality performing varieties
Strong seed system
to provide
high quality performing varieties
Point to the north
28th October, 2016, IITA, IBADAN
Hemant Nitturkar
BASICS - Project Coordinator

2. Cassava is very important in Nigeria

3. How well are we doing?

4. Target 20 tons per hectare
30%
7 m ha = 140 m tons
30% of the additional 86 MT or 26 m tons can come from improved seeds adoption alone
@20,000 Naira per ton, this is a
520 Billion Naira ($1.65b) annual opportunity, purely from seed system intervention
IMPROVED SEEDS
30%
WEED MANAGEMENT
30%
IMPROVED AGRONOMY
10%
WEATHER AND MISC

5. First step to reach a place is for all stakeholders to visualise it, strongly
What is a strong seed system?
What is high quality seed?
What is high performance?
Is high yielder in ideal conditions better than lower, but stable yielder in all conditions?
What is a fair price for such an improved stem bundle?
WHY DO WE NEED TO CHANGE?
Point North

6. How to develop a robust seed system?
MARKET
BREEDERS
VARIETY RELEASE PEOPLE
EXTENSION PERSONNEL
SEED MULTIPLIERS
INTERMEDIARIES
F A R M E R S
Anywhere from 3 to 6 million farmers grow cassava
Behaviour change of a lot of stakeholders
HOPE >>>> AWARENESS >>>> ASPIRATION >>>> BIZ-LIKE

7. Cross the chasm – how far should we go?
How to get mass market adoption of improved varieties?
My simple answer is at 11 – 15%

8. A chain is only as strong as the weakest link!
Launch successful!
Mission failed!
Where is the baton getting dropped?
What can we do to address it?

9. A complete Value Chain, stewardship approach needed
Agriculture is not a mature ecosystem
WHY?
PUSH models – 25%
PULL models – 75%
WHAT?
HOW?

10. Uniqueness of BASICS project
Germplasm
Fast multiplication
Testing and certification
SCIENCE
FINANCE
Business models
Value chains
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES
TAAT, ENABLE YOUTH
Weed Management, Agronomy, Mechanisation, Gari revolution
PEOPLE
Capacity of all stakeholders
Mindset of all stakeholders

11. Collaborative effort needed
PULL Models
Processing industries
Gari production centers

12. Collaborative effort needed
PUSH Models
Augment and privatise basic seed
Village Seed Entrepreneur

13. A robust seed system can only happen in a robust cassava ecosystem
Value for money
Backward linkage in processing industries
An umbrella structure for VSEs
Proactiveness of NASC
Large numbers of cassava champions
Innovative and targeted communication

14. Action steps – Operation 2X
10% through better soil management
10% through better water management
10% through improved seeds
10% through improved nutrition management
10% through improved weed management
10% through better pest management
10% through value addition
10% through mechanisation
10% better farm and financial management
10% through better market linkage
X 2.6 times

15. A historic opportunity!
IT IS NOT EVERYDAY WE SEE A PERSON LIKE
DR AKINWUMI ADESINA AT HELM IN AFDB

16. A historic opportunity!
IT IS NOT EVERYDAY WE SEE A DONOR FUNDING SEED, WEED, AGRONOMY, VALUE ADDITION, MECHANISATION PROJECTS ALL AT ONE TIME IN ONE CROP IN ONE COUNTRY

17. A historic opportunity!
IT IS NOT EVERYDAY WE SEE A DG LIKE SANGINGA WHO IS PASSIONATE TO LEAVE A LEGACY OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

18. A historic opportunity!
IT IS NOT EVERYDAY WE SEE SUCH A DIVERSE TALENT ASSEMBLED UNDER ONE ROOF FOR A COMMON MISSION. THANKS CLAUDE,GRAHAM, KENTON, ALFRED, PETER AND PETER.

19. THANK YOU
The purpose the BASICS project is to develop a sustainable cassava seed value chain in Nigeria, characterized by the commercial production and dissemination of cassava planting material. The project envisages benefits to farmers and the industry through higher returns from the use of clean planting material of superior stem quality that are made accessible to farmers at the right time and at an appropriate price.