The Potato Seed System in Uganda-
an end-user Perspective
J
First Bio-Innovate Regional Scientific Conference
United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC-ECA)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 25-27 February 2013

Introduction and rationale
• Potato (solanum tuberosum) is important for food
security and livelihoods
• However the sub-sector is hampered by low
productivity brought about mainly by poor planting
material.
• Multiplication, distribution, maintaining
standards, monitoring quality are essential in
maintaining high quality planting material as seed
for next generation’s crop in the face of other
stresses.

Introduction and Rationale
• Despite the importance of quality
seed systems for potato
productivity, it is ill defined in
Uganda.
• This situation makes scientific
interventions difficult to implement
• Study was conducted to understand
existing systems of seed potato from
the end-user perspective
• Establish preferred quality
characteristics, costs of acquiring
planting material and WTP for
quality attributes.

Data and methods
• Data collected from a stratified sample of 181
potato farmers in Eastern and Central Uganda
• Results reported here are for Kapchorwa district
• Leading producer of potatoes in Eastern Uganda.
• Analysis using STATA 12
– Descriptive analysis (Percentages and means)
– Robust regression (Parameter estimates for WTP)

Results
Descriptives
Variable Mean Std Dev
Availability of labor for HHs
Male 91%
Relative experience in potato Literacy level 84%
production is 0.33 Age 42.8 11.3
HH size 7.6 4.4
No change in: Education 9.3 4.2
No of potato plots Exp in potato production 14.1 9.6
Intensity of potato production
No. of plots (20011) 1.1 0.8
However, actual acreage under No. of plots (5 years ago) 1.4 0.9
potato shrunk over the 5-yr Intensity of prodn. (2011) 97.4 11.6
period.
Intensity of prodn. (5yrs ago) 98.4 8.1
NAADS groups, the Kapchorwa Potato acreage (2011) 1.25 1.24
Farmers’ Association. Potato Acreage (5yrs ago) 2.1 0.8
Membership to FOs 80.3%

Results cont…
Variety % Agriculture and Wanale are
Wanale 12.3 most grown potato
varieties
Agriculture 42.0
AT Uganda 6.2 Over 75% of the potato
Victoria 9.9 farmers reported that most
Cruza 6.2 varieties were just
introduced in the area
Time lag from when variety was first
implying that they were
heard of till the time it was planted
adopted from elsewhere.
Relative adoption rate=
100
120 90
80
100
70
80 60
50
60 40
30
40
20
20 10
0
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2007
2011
0
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Variety: “Wanale” Variety: “Agriculture”

Source, type and price of planting material
Local seed Other Variable Variety Mean USD
producers 6%
6% Small size Wanale 42,200 15.92
Agriculture 41,100 15.51
Self
Local traders 39% Medium size Wanale 41,250 15.57
14%
Agriculture 41,600 15.70
Farmer-to- Average cost Wanale 41,725 15.75
farmer
Agriculture 41,350
35% 15.60
Major source is own saved seed or neighbor
Informal seed source hence quality and name of variety not
usually known.

Preferred Attributes
Variable Wanale Agriculture
(%) (%)
Tuber yield 30.3 26.5
Storability 9.1 6.9
Tuber yield as the most
Drought tolerance 3.0 2.0
important characteristic
Tolerance to too much rains 0.0 2.0 attribute when choosing
Nutritional value 3.0 0.0 variety.
Tolerance to blight 6.1 10.8
Tolerance to moth 0.0 2.0
Early maturity 21.2 16.7 Other Wanale attributes
High dry matter content 0.0 1.0 included marketability and
early maturity.
Flesh color 0.0 1.0
Viability 0.0 1.0
Marketability 24.2 11.8
Taste of tuber 3.0 17.6 Early maturity and taste of
the tuber of “Agriculture”.

WTP – Measure of potential demand
Variety Response Premium USD
Wanale 44,583 2,858 1.08
It is not enough to
Agriculture 44,359 3,009 1.14 deliver innovations to
the end-user.
WTP= β0+
It is important to
assess whether the
Variable innovations are being
Coef. Standard error Sign.
Constant taken up, what
854.53 247.62 *** challenges they face,
Age -617.44 288.93 ** and what factors
Education
influence uptake.
676.8 620.33
Time to renew seed -1785.09 279.47
Do you sell seed produced? 2237.33 729.75 *** Dr. Seyoum
Potato acreage -539.07 252.51 *
Off-farm employment -2403.18 1045.48 **

Stages that planting material passes through
(for a variety not previously grown)
Hear/learn Identify Visits and Evaluate If satisfied, prospecting
about variety inspects performance for buyer negotiates on
variety source garden yield, maturity, price, size, makes partial
plant health of payment
existing plants
At harvest time buyer
returns to
field, completes
payment and collects
seed
Stages that planting material passes through
(for a variety previously grown)
Farmer Identifies Farmer agrees on volumes
harvests farmer who to exchange and exchange
own seed wishes to grow takes place
same variety

Legislation
Large proportion of potato Variable Response %
innovation end-users believe On Yes 82.5
that there is legislation multiplication
However aspects in seed On distribution Yes 82.5
legislation are missing. Aspects Lack of awareness of 34.6
lacking rules and regulations
Minimal implementation and
monitoring of existing seed regarding seed systems
legislation Development and 32.6
provision of high quality
Yet the benefits from legislation
could be immense. planting materials
Implementation and 14.2
Effective implementation and monitoring
monitoring of seed legislation
would control the spread of
Benefits Pest and disease control 33.3
pests and diseases, it would Access to high quality 37.3
increase access to high quality planting material
planting material and thereby
increase productivity.
Increase production 9.8

Monitoring, standards and quality control Largely monitored by the
Who monitors quality None 39.0 farmers themselves or
of planting material agricultural/extension
Agric. officers/extension 42.9 officers
workers
NAADS coordinator 16.9 and
Standards regarding Disease-free Seed 39.7
Believe their experienced
prodn. & distribution
counterparts are better
Maturity of tubers 22.7
placed to do monitoring.
Variety identity 30.4
Variety purity 22.4 Few farmers knew of any
Number of sprouts/eyes 32.4 standards on distribution
Diameter of planting 22.1
material Yet, about ¾ of all farmers
Sell seed produced Yes 76.5 were in the business of
producing, multiplying and
selling planting material.
Concern to policy makers and technology developers
Technology ??????
Researcher Farmer Farmer

While there are benefits to
Time taken to Annually 38.0
renewing seed every so often renew seed
the majority of farmers After 2years 30.0
interviewed mentioned they After 3years 18.0
renewed seed once a year,
Every 3mnths 8.0
after two years or even after
Every 6mnths 6.0
three years.
Type of seed Certified 23.5
Not certified 76.5
Reasons:
Larger proportion of planting material
High cost of renewal exchanging hands was informal and of
& unknown quality standard
inaccessible improved seed If the situation is persists then we should expect
source. both the quality and quantity of harvest to
decline over the years unless the people
concerned with legislation, quality control and
enforcement step up to the front

Conclusions
• Smallholder production
• Largely informal
• A lot of recycling uncertified planting material
• Lack of variety identify
• Poor monitoring for quality
>>> Low productivity
Over 72% of farmers produce, exchange and sell
potato seed.
Those who sold were also willing to pay a premium
for quality seed.
Tuber yield and marketability are key attributes.

• There still exists opportunity to improve
potato productivity given:
– Appropriate varieties to address end-user needs
of tuber yield and marketability (generated,
disseminated)
– Access to quality planting material (and quality
controlled)
– Private sector involvement in reducing informal
exchange thus providing quality planting material

Acknowledgement
• Bioinnovate program
• ILRI
• UNECA
• Govt. of Sweden
• Govt of Uganda
• Farmers

Thank you