Participatory potato seed production: a breakthrough for food security and income generation in the central highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

Quality seed is one of the major bottlenecks hampering the production and productivity of potato not only in Ethiopia but also in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since the 1970’s, the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research has generated a number of improved potato production technologies such as improved varieties with accompanying agronomic practices, crop protection measures, postharvest handling techniques and utilization options. The developed technologies were promoted from 2013-2015 via technology promotion and popularization to the Wolmera, Adea-Bera and Ejere districts with the objective of creating awareness and up scaling of improved potato production and utilization technologies. The Potato Improvement Research Program and the Research and Extension Division of Holetta Research Center in collaboration with extension staff of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) undertake this activity. The farmers were selected and organized in Farmer Field Schools and all stakeholders were engaged before distributing potato seeds and planting on selected farmers’ fields for demonstrating of potato production technologies. A total of 899 farmers and 40 agricultural experts were trained and 27.7, 9 and 5.5 tons of quality seeds of Gudanie, Jalenie and Belete potato varieties, respectively, were delivered as a revolving seed with their recommended agronomic packages; this amount of seed covered 21.1 ha. A total of 16 farmer groups from Wolmera, 7 from Adea-Berga, and 11 from Ejere participated. They produced over 434 tons of relatively clean seed and constructed 8 diffused light stores. In addition to the demonstration of improved potato varieties, information dissemination was also an important component of the program to raise awareness for a large numbers of potato growers through farmers’ field days, pamphlets, and mass media. Each year about three field days were organized and more than 1500 pamphlets were distributed to farmers invited from neighboring districts and ‘Kebeles’ to enhance speed. Through this intervention farmers are now harvesting a yield of about 26-34 t/ha up from 8t/ha when they were using inferior quality potato seed; this has made the farmers in the intervention area more food secure especially during the usually food scarce months of August to October when cereal crops are generally yet to mature. The farmers are also getting additional income from the sale of excess potato and are able to better meet other necessary costs like school fees, for their children.

A scoping review of the contributions of farmers’ organizations to smallholder agriculture

“…3d). A greater capacity of producers to deploy sophisticated inputs and management practices, as a result mainly of FO extension services in combination with access to inputs, may have a strong effect on members' yield levels, as found in Chindi et al 29 and Wassie at al. 30 .…”

Accelerating Seed Potato Production By Using Rapid Multiplication Systems in Ethiopia

“…The farmers could also access early generation clean seed potato through their nearby cooperatives with affordable price and with low transportation cost (Chindi et al, 2017). Thus, for developing countries like Ethiopia where formal seed system is infant stages and early generation seed is mostly produced by research centers, the use of various rapid multiplication techniques are very essential to produce clean seed.…”

“…The combination of both formal and informal seed systems has improved the livelihoods of seed producers in the highlands of Ethiopia. These producers now typically have better houses, increased food security, more animals, more land and more children in school, and they have diversified their incomes away from potato (Chindi et al, 2017;Hirpa et al, 2015).…”

Role of networking capability, socio-economic and institutional characteristics on adoption tendencies of clean seed potato agri-enterprises in central Rift Valley, Kenya

“…Quality seed potato is among the vital inputs with potential to stimulate agricultural productivity, economic growth, and entrepreneurial opportunities, particularly in the central Rift Valley region of the country (Louwaars and De Boef, 2012). According to Chindi et al (2017), a seed system that ensures seed security to farmers is essential in realising the potential for potato production and its contribution to food security.…”

“…Such methods are limited to the formal seed system due to stringent certification rules stipulated by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS). On the other hand, the semi-formal sector, through guidance from trained agricultural officers, has potential for improving the supply of and access to clean seed potato through a decentralised CSPMAE (Chindi et al, 2017;Okello et al, 2018).…”