Exploring the regulatory space for improving availability, access and quality of vegetatively propagated crop seed: potato in Kenya

McEwan, M.; Spielman, David J.; Okello, Joseph; Hareau, Guy; Bartle, Bill; Mbiri, D.; Atieno, E.; Omondi, Bonface; Assfaw, Tesfamicheal; Gonzalez, L. F.; Abdoulaye, Tahirou; Maredia, Mywish K.

doi:10.4160/23096586rtbwp20211

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…For insights into the challenges of distinguishing low-quality seed from counterfeit seed, see Gharib et al (2021) maintenance breeding and EGS production at NARO. Especially for crops that rely on vegetative propagation, like potatoes, timely access to sufficient and high-quality EGS is an important bottleneck (McEwan et al, 2021;Spielman et al, 2021;Vandevelde et al, 2021). At downstream points where seed producers distribute and market seed to farmers, concerns focused on poor practices in seed production, storage, and handling or, more nefariously, seed counterfeiting at downstream points.…”

Section: Continued Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Policy and performance in Uganda's seed sector: Opportunities and challenges

Bagamba

Ntakyo

Otim³

et al. 2023

Development Policy Review

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Motivation: Efforts to increase smallholder access to improved varieties and quality seed is often central to agricultural development, economic growth, and poverty reduction in low-income countries. Yet many governments and development partners grow impatient with slow progress in their seed sectors. Uganda stands out for its recent policy innovations, regulatory reforms, and market experiments for seed, and for the extensive analysis of its experience. Purpose: This article reviews the changing landscape ofUganda's seed system and assesses recent policy, regulatory, and institutional changes.Methods and approach: We draw on a wide range of documents, studies, and statistics.Findings: The low uptake of improved varieties and quality seed in Uganda has encouraged innovation to overcome failures in the country's seed market. These innovations include regulatory changes to allow the production of quality declared seed (QDS) by smallholder seed producers; labelling to allow text message verification of seed; and crowd-sourcing information on seed quality by farmers. All have promise, but it remains to be seen just how effective they will be. In the meantime, vested interests may resist moves to a more innovative seed sector, instead preferring to maintain the incumbent approach designed to use seed

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Section: Continued Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Policy and performance in Uganda's seed sector: Opportunities and challenges

Bagamba

Ntakyo

Otim³

et al. 2023

Development Policy Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Unfortunately, this supplies less than 5% of the seed used by farmers (Kaguongo et al 2014). The strict regulations and requirements for certification restrict the engagements of smallholder farmers and form a barrier to increase the production and thereby the availability and access to quality seed (McEwan et al 2020). The cost of seed potato is among the biggest financial outlay for Kenyan smallholder farmers.…”

Section: The Challenge Of Increasing the Availability Of Quality Seed...mentioning

confidence: 99%

How Kenyan Potato Farmers Evaluate the Seed: Implications for the Promotion of Certified Seed Potato

et al. 2023

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Improving the quality of seed potatoes that smallholder farmers plant continues to represent one of the most important challenges of the potato sector in most developing countries to counter the long-lasting poor yields. This study aimed to better understand the way farmers choose seed potato by exploring the attributes they look for and the benefits they expect from them. We used means-end chains analysis in combination with Kelly’s repertory grid as an elicitation technique and disaggregated data for male and female partners. In total, farmers named 38 attributes they look for when selecting seeds. Farmers associate “good” seeds to those that are well-sprouted, have many eyes, are of a variety they know, are medium in size, are certified, and are undamaged. Most preferred attributes lead to a higher yield and consequently higher income which is the most predominant avenue for farmers to achieve their desired values in life. Female farmers mentioned fewer attributes and also pursued fewer values than their male counterparts. Users and non-users of certified seed were shown to use the same attributes to select their potato seeds. Non-users of certified seed thus seem to be aware of the benefits of certified seed even though they are not using it. The results from this study indicate that increasing the availability of certified seed is not necessarily a straightforward way of improving the quality of seed potato planted by Kenyan smallholder farmers.

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Can rooted apical cuttings complement seed systems to improve availability of quality seed potato in Africa?—The case of Kenya

Wauters

Hutchings²,

Munguti

et al. 2023

Crop Science

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Limited availability and access to quality seed is a major challenge faced by the Kenyan potato subsector. Smallholder farmers cultivate the bulk of potato mainly planting seed from informal sources without any quality assurance which contributes to low yields. In recent years, private sector businesses have engaged in certified seed potato production with positive impact on the volumes available, relying on minitubers to multiply in the field over three to four generations. Rooted apical cuttings (RACs) provide a productive alternative starter material that can further boost the Kenyan seed systems. Stokman Rozen Kenya Ltd (SRK) is a private sector business that has embraced this technology in 2017. Also, small‐scale nurseries have recently started the commercial production of cuttings. They both sell RACs mainly to seed growers for further bulking, but ware potato farmers can also produce quality seed on‐farm for their own use from RACs when applying good agricultural practices. This paper examines the initial experiences of both SRK and small‐scale nurseries in the production and marketing of RACs as well as their performance during subsequent field multiplications. Producing and selling RACs offers a profitable business opportunity, especially when productivity and sales increase. Compared to other rapid multiplication technologies, RACs also allow to significantly increase the volumes of early generation seed produced. Key recommendations are to create awareness and to develop adequate marketing strategies to promote their uptake, and to ensure RACs are adequately multiplied into commercial seed to improve its availability to smallholder farmers in Kenya.

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Exploring the regulatory space for improving availability, access and quality of vegetatively propagated crop seed: potato in Kenya

Cited by 3 publications

References 26 publications

Policy and performance in Uganda's seed sector: Opportunities and challenges

Policy and performance in Uganda's seed sector: Opportunities and challenges

How Kenyan Potato Farmers Evaluate the Seed: Implications for the Promotion of Certified Seed Potato

Can rooted apical cuttings complement seed systems to improve availability of quality seed potato in Africa?—The case of Kenya

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