This document discusses a study aimed at increasing the production and availability of high-quality potato seed in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. It finds that adopting certified potato seed and improved agricultural practices can significantly increase yields, reduce costs, and boost farmer incomes. Specifically: 1) Using certified seed instead of local varieties increased yields by 35% and would raise farmer incomes by $352 per hectare. 2) The study estimates that 88.7% of farmers would adopt certified seed if available, though subsidies could increase adoption further. 3) Widespread use of certified seed could increase the land area used for high-quality seed production from less than 1% to 10% of total potato land.

1. By
Obado J, Labarta R and Thiele G
4th March 2010

2. Rapid growth in potato demand in kenya
Low quantity of high quality seed(required
per year 66000 tones, available 89 tons)
Limited capacity to produce high quality
seed(6 generation)
Low yields from local varieties due to low
disease resistance (LB, BW and virus)

3. Designed to increase production of high
quality seed in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda
(Ethiopia by extension)
Reduce the period of seed production from 6
to 3 generation (aeroponics)
Increase the availability and accessibility of
high quality seed in the region through
massive seed production through
-aerponics/trained seed multipliers
-PPP in seed production and capacity building

6. Demonstration of the benefits of using high
quality seed
Increase the availability of High Quality Seed
through massive production (PPP) (from >1%
to 10%)
Reduce cost of seed incurred by the farmer
(seed = 30% of potato income)
Increase adaptability through good potato
mgt

7. To estimate the adoption of clean seed in
Kenya
To determine whether subsidy is appropriate
to increase adoption of HQS

8. The study has been done using data collected
from Kenya.
System 1=Ordinary seed data (base system)
System 2=Use of certified/clean seed

9. Certified seed: yield increase by 35% from the
use of initial ordinary seed
Weights of seed type used are expected to
change with more land allocated for
clean/certified seed
It assumed that land area under ordinary seed
will reduce by 20% hence increase area under
clean/certified seed(20%)

10. Variable System 1 (Ordinary seed) System 2 (certified seed)
Yield 8.93ton/ha 30% increase
Cost 665.7USD/ha 812.14USD/ha
Price 160USD 160USD
CV 76.44% 76.44%
Weight1 0.711 0.289
Weight 2 0.5688 0.431

11. 88.7% of farmers would shift to clean seed
and good potato management
an increase in subsidy results in increased
adoption
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
PES
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
88 90 92 94 96 98 100
Adopt_A

12. About 66 acres will be used for clean seed
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
PES
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75
Eserv_A

13. Through use of certified seed and proper
potato management, farmers would report an
income of 1,543USD/ha (352USD more)
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
PES
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000
IncHa_A

14. Case 1: CVs is fixed the same for the two
systems
Case 2: CV increases in system 2 by 20%

15. Adoption rate 82% from 89%
Land under clean seed reduces to 62 from 66
acres
Income per ha reduces from 1543 to
1408USD

16. More analysis will be done using different
regions and systems
Different countries’ data be analyzed in detail