The document discusses the need for a sustainable forage seed system in Ethiopia. It notes that shortages of feed are constraining livestock productivity, and that forages are an important input but the forage seed sector has lacked attention. It examines the informal and formal seed systems currently in place and their advantages and disadvantages. It proposes activities to strengthen both systems, including identifying farmers to produce seed informally and cooperatively at first before transitioning some to the formal system. Key actors in the seed system are identified along with best-bet forage species. The ILRI FeedSeed project experience of different seed production and marketing models is discussed.

1. The Need for Sustainable Forage Seed System
Teklu Kidane, ILRI
Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop
Michew, Tigray, 19-21 April 2017

2. 1. The Forage Seed Agenda
 Shortage of feed is heavily sighted as a key constraint to keeping
productive livestock
 Forages are one of the important inputs needed in animal diet
 Forage production requires seed and planting material as inputs
 But, until recently, forage seed sector has not been getting the
necessary attention
 Additional problems include:
 Inadequate working material (seed + planting material)
 Limited user awareness
 Insufficient and inefficient support services to producers,
distributors and final users
 There is a general lack of sustainable seed supply system.

3. 2. Understanding systemic problems
Limited skill &
awareness
Low income of livestock keepers
Low livestock productivity
Unbalanced & inadequate livestock diet
Insufficient forage supply
Insufficient
seed
supply
Low
purchasing
power
Low
Adoption
rate
Key
resource
constraint
Non-specialized
seed production
Loose quality
control/certification

4. 3. The Seed Systems
Informal seed system Formal seed system
 Collective effort of farmers and
their local communities
 Seed is saved and stored for future
planting
 Seed is exchanged with relatives
or other farmers
 Seed is traded/exchanged in local
market place
 Requires small investment
 In most cases source of starter
seed is unknown (non-traceable)
 Does not need quality certification
 Better applies to farmer-to-farmer
seed exchange.
 Mainly involves public and private
seed enterprises
 Involves formal plant breeding,
varietal development, testing &
release procedures
 Seed law applies
 Peculiarities include:
o Large scale production (EOS)
o Packaging and labeling
o Standard storage facility
o Quality testing facility
o Business registration
o Certificate of competence
o Quality certification
o Certificate of distribution
o Requires growing demand.

5. 4. The Seed Systems…options compared
Option Advantage Disadvantage
Commercial
Farm model
1. Can produce certified seed
2. Has capacity to invest
3. Basic infrastructure in place
4. Better positioned for business risk
5. Better chance to add value & sell forage.
1. High seed prices due to high initial
investment
2. Requires incentives to go into this
new venture.
Smallholder
Farmer
model
1. Better option for F-to-F exchange of
vegetative material
2. Low investment requirement
3. Lower seed prices
4. If clustered, good out-growers
1. Limited critical resources
2. Difficult to commercialize
3. Highly risk-aversive
4. Difficult to meet seed standards
5. Challenge to get access to end
market
Coop model 1. Good for seed distribution
2. State patronage
1. New to forage seed business
2. Inefficient management
3. Member-focussed.
Public Seed
Enterprise
model
1. Regional mandate for seed distribution
2. Better outreach to many farmers through
cooperatives.
1. Not ready to diversify product to
include forage seed

6. 5. Proposed forage seed related activities
Phase I: Informal Seed System Phase II: Formal Seed System (graduation)
Farmer (community based seed system) Public and private seed enterprises (formal)
1. Identify potential farmers based on criteria:
Willingness
Land availability
Access to water
Agro-ecology
Willingness to share cost (in kind or cash)
1. Identify farmers graduating to enterprise level
 Farmers as out-growers
 Farmers as seed sellers
 Rural youth & women as agro dealers
 Facilitate access to finance
2. Practical & basic business skills training 2. Identify public seed enterprises
 Interest/willingness
 Water, land availability
 Technical training
3. Field visits to selected FeedSeed project
clients to share experience and source seed
3. Identify private sector enterprises
 Demand-supply study
 Recruit based on:
o Willingness to invest
o Land, finance, water
 Technical & business training
 Access to market (farmers, dairy &fattening)
 Quality certification
4. B2B linkages and targeted extension services

7. Input providers: Inputs:
- Research - Foundation seed
- Informal suppliers - Tools/equipment
- Importers - Skill
Producers:
- Farmers
- Commercial enterprises
- Cooperatives
- Research
Distributors:
Profit-making Non-profit making
- Informal traders - Research?
- Registered sellers - Government sector
- Importers? - NGO sector
Market:
- Government
- NGOs
- Traders
Forage Seed
System
6. Key actors in the seed system

8. ILRI FeedSeed Experience
Forage seed system assessment – dominantly “informal”
Three different options (models) of forage seed production & marketing
piloted:
o Farmer
o Cooperative and
o Commercial farm
 Approach

9. Training support

10. The Seed Systems…FeedSeed
The farmer option has been found most appropriate for
production & exchange of genetic material through root splits
& stem cuts
Farmers are found most active in selling forage in addition to
planting material
Cooperatives more opted for marketing/distribution function
It takes time to convince cooperatives, private & public
commercial farmers to consider the forage seed business

11. Forage for gully rehabilitation (Atsbi, Raya)

12. Private investment into forage seed business (Sodo)
Machinery WaterLand

13. Farmer investment into forage seed business

14. Commercial seed company (Nekemet area)

15. Best-bet forage species - Grasses
P. Tuberosa (phalaris) A. sativa (oats) P. clandestinum (kikuyu) C. ciliaris (buffel)
C.gayana (Rhodes) P.maximum (guinea) P. coloratum P. purpureum (elephant)
M.minutiflora (molasses) Sudan grass B. decumbens S. almum (sorghum)

16. Herbaceous legumes
Trifolium spp. Medicago sativa Vicia spp. L. purpureus
D. uncinatum (silver leaf) V. unguiculata (cowpea)Melilotus alba

17. Shrub/tree/browse
L. leucocephala L. pallida S. sesban
C. Cajan (pigeon pea)Tree Lucerne

18. Africa RISING CGIAR partners in Ethiopia

19. Africa RISING local partners in Ethiopia
• Academic institutions:
– Wachemo, Mekelle, Madawolabu, Debre Berhan and Hawassa universities; Maichew
Agricultural College
• Regional research organizations:
– Amhara Regional Agricultrural Research Institute, Southern Agricultural Research
Institute, Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute
• Federal research organizations:
– Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research, Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research
Institute
• Offices of Agriculture:
– Endamekoni (Tigray), Basona Worena (Amhara), Lemo (SNNRP) and Sinana (Oromia)
• Agricultural Transformation Agency

20. Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation
africa-rising.net
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