Lack of Access to Seed and Planting Material

Currently, more than 80 per cent of the seed planted by African farmers is produced by the informal seed sector where farmers themselves produce, disseminate and access seed directly from their own harvest or through exchange and barter among members of the local communities. While the informal seed sector is currently the primary source of seed in Africa, and will remain so for the foreseeable future, improved access to seed from the formal sector would be highly beneficial. Unfortunately, there is limited collaboration between participants in the formal and informal seed sectors. The result is that many farmers dependent on the local seed system often do not have access to early generation seed of new, improved crop varieties, and high value fruit and vegetables that are available from the formal seed sector.

Several studies suggest that currently less than 20 per cent of the cropped area in Africa as a whole is planted with high-yielding varieties. There are a number of barriers that are affecting seed distribution and these include:

• Poorly developed infrastructure: Long distances between farmers and seed outlets and poor roads which result in high transportation costs and poor storage arrangements impact on seed quality, especially with lengthy transport periods.
• Inadequate extension services: Farmers often need extension service and demonstration programmes to help them understand the expected benefits resulting from the using of improved seed, and to encourage them to use new varieties.
• Inadequate seed policies: While in some countries there are adequate seed policies encouraging investments, particularly in seed distribution, in many others, either there are inadequate policies related to the seed sector, or policies are acting as disincentives to further seed development.
• Inadequate support for small-scale seed sector entrepreneurs: Often government support for small scale seed entrepreneurs is not adequate to develop the sector. They often have no access to rural credit and marketing opportunities for agricultural products in general, and seed retailing systems in particular are weak. The result is that smallholder farmers cannot access higher quality seed as it is not available in their area, or the seed is too expensive for most farmers to purchase.
• Inability of women to access and use quality seeds: The limited involvement of women in the decision-making process on family income, as well as access to land, extension education and other factors of production, continue to reduce demand on quality seed even where it exists.

A strategic approach is essential to address the barriers that are impeding farmer access to higher quality seeds. For example, improved linkage between the formal and informal seed sectors in the participating countries will ensure that seed development programmes fully consider farmers needs and the diversity of crops being employed including major, minor and women’s crops.