Presented by Rubyogo J.C. (CIAT) at the Africa RISING East and Southern Africa Research Review and Planning Meeting, Arusha, Tanzania, 1-5 October 2012

1. Africa RISING
East and Southern Africa Research Review and Planning Meeting,
Arusha, Tanzania, 1-5 October 2012
Maize , legume and forage seed systems in Malawi,
Tanzania and Zambia : Current status, bottlenecks and
strategies for improvement
Rubyogo J.C. et al. CIAT

2. BACKGROUND
• Hundreds of varieties (maize & legumes) with good traits
released.
• Several seed system models are implemented to disseminate
improved maize, legumes
• Seed systems actors: Govt Orgs (MoA) /NARS, Farmers Orgs,
NGOs:
• Decentralized e.g. QDS and non inspected quality seed of improved
varieties
• Centralized: in partnership with private sector (positive results
for maize hybrid but not legumes )
• Relief/subsidized
• Despite the efforts, variety ?(legume) dissemination is
limited/unreliable! why?

3. Objectives of Seed Systems Assessment (SSA)
i. To take inventory of public released varieties for the last 15
years and their current level of seed availability and
dissemination
ii. To assess the seed systems with regard to production capacity
e.g. scale and seed access to different farmers categories,
particularly women & small scale farmers.
iii.To identify bottlenecks in seed systems including policies
iv. To identify strategies to strengthen seed systems particularly
increase seed access to women & small scale farmers.

4. Process : national stakeholders workshops and ground
truthing interactions with actors
1. Status of the seed sector in each country
reviewed;
2. Seed systems challenges/constraints/bottlenecks
identified
3. Potential interventions suggested.
Participants:
Reps of Govt (policy makers)-NARS (breeders); NGOs;
FOs; Input suppliers & seed companies,

5. Nbr of released varieties VS. their use in
Zambia
Crop Nbr of varieties released Number of varieties
1996-2011 2006-2012 disseminated in
2011 (Certifed
+QDS)
Maize (Hybrid) 154 73 74
Maize (OPV) 18 9 6
Beans 18 12 8
Ground nut 8 3 2
Cowpea 2 1 2
Soybean 20 8 7
Pigeon pea 1 0 0

6. Nbr of Released varieties VS. their use in
Tanzania
Crop Nbr of varieties released Number of varieties
1996-2011 2006-2012 disseminated in
2011 (certified and
QDS)
Maize (Hybrid) 45 11 3
Maize (OPV) 16 5 9
Beans 11 5 7
Ground nut 5 5 ?
Cowpea 1 0 ?
Soybean 2 1 ?
Pigeon pea 3 0 2

7. Seed production scheme/grades
Country Certified Quality declared Seed Informal
Malawi Yes No Yes
Tanzania Yes Yes Yes
Zambia Yes Yes Yes
Quality Declared Seed ( QDS) :
QSDS is produced by a registered smallholder farmer that conforms to the specified
quality standards for crop species concerned and which has been subject to the quality
control measures prescribed/relaxed in the regulations e.g. only 10-15% of areas under
seed production is inspected

8. Price differentials between QDS and certified seed of crops
under study– the case of Tanzania in 2011

9. Government support programs – case of Zambia (Maize)

10. Current seed supply coverage (Certified +QDS) in
Zambia
Crop Total seed demand Certified and QDS actual seed supply /TSD
(TSD) in MTs Seed produced Coverage (%)
(MTs)
Maize 25,200 75,000 300%
(excess/export)
Gnut 21,560 759 3.5
Beans 5950 259 4.3
Soybean 3100 1104 35.6
cowpea 300 276 92.0
Pigeon Pea - -
Malawi: Beans (5%), Gnut (5.5%)
Tanzania : Beans (2%), Gnut (1.5%), Pigeon Pea (1.0%)
Research: is this amount enough to inject seed of new variety in the

11. What are major bottlenecks and strategies ?
Major areas of Bottlenecks Strategies
concerns
Seed 1. Current seed policies 1. Support research farm to produce early
are favorable to generation
policies
legumes integration 2. Strengthen (training & minimum
equipment) decentralized seed
e.g. lack of interest
enterprises/business supported mainly by
of private FOs- and linked to NGOs and local
government
3. Engage government to expand legumes to
government subsidies (Zambia and
Malawi) !!
Production Very limited or no 1. Understand farmer seed variety preferences
production of breeder, 2. Support research farms to undertake seed
of early production as an seed enterprise
pre- basic & basic seed
generation 3. License private producers

12. What are bottlenecks /strategies
Major areas of Bottlenecks
(contd)?
Strategies
concerns
Production of Inadequate 1. Support the expansion of QDS
targeting women seed entrepreneurs
certified, QDS availability especially as business
for legumes
and locally 2. Encourage FOs /researchers to link on
accepted farm variety test to local seed
production of pre-released varieties
quality seed (additional amount of seeds)
1. Inadequate 1. Develop a catalogue of released
information on varieties and make it widely available
Marketing varieties (web of MoA, National Seed Agencies
and 2. Seed availability 2. Build partnership with local service
dissemination (Production, providers (NGOs, FOs and local
producers and Govts) to carry out demos/field days,
amount) open days etc.
3. Inadequate number 3. Embed small packs of legumes in
of seed outlets maize packs (seed companies are
willing)

13. Integrated Seed System
1
Breeder seeds (NARS/Private )
2 Basic seeds (NARS/Private )
Certified seed 1 Quality seeds by local seed
3 producers (individual or groups –
(Private seed supported by Development
producers ) partners (GOs, NGOs-CBOs etc)
4 Certified seeds 2 (large
and small packs) using market
and non market channels
5 Farmers
Farmers Traders

14. NARS: HLI MoARD ESE FCU:
EIAR/SARI Higher learning Ministry of Agric. and Ethiopian Seed (Farmers Cooperative
Institutions Rural Development Enterprise Unions
Grain exporter:
PABRA POORTMAN
RECOMMENDATION : PARTNERSHIP IN
BEAN TECHNOLOGY GENERATION,
ECABREN
DISSEMINATION AND
PROMOTION
CIAT Grain exporter:
since 2003 till now IN ETHIOPIA
ACOS
SHDI
Self Help Development Private seed CRS
International producers CARE-E
Catholic Relief Service

15. Value of transformative partnership in seed
Trend in bean production
systems in seed systems parameters
Trend
Year No. partners Seed amount No. Varieties
(tons)
2003 3 425.00 3
2004/5 24 3400.00 10
2009/10 54 6612.95 7

16. Key Issues/findings
• A good number of farmers are not aware of improved
varieties (particularly legumes)
• Even those who are aware, they don’t have access
• Even if they access varieties, it takes time to get new varieties
in the hands of farmers
• No released forage variety- no existing seed systems
• More important: Farmers are eager to try/get new varieties of
legumes and to some extent maize
• Need to establish/carry out research – action on Integrated
Seed systems