The Contribution of Community Based Seed Production in the Ethiopia Seed System: Evidence from West and South West Shewa, Zone, Oromia Region

Abstract

Community based seed multiplication approaches have been used by agricultural research and development actors to improve farmers’ access to quality seed in many developing countries like Ethiopia. Recently it has gained popularity as an alternative to the formal seed sector of disseminating new crop varieties developed by the research system. Almost every smallholder farmer in the country uses the recycled seeds from their farms for the next planting season. Seed producer cooperatives produce quality seed of diversified crops and varieties and directly sell to customers locally and beyond. Community based seed multiplication (CBSM) approach was introduced and evaluated at national level particularly in Oromia regional state of Ethiopia from 2015/16-2017/18 cropping season and by the implementing center of Holetta agricultural research center from 2015/16 to 2019/20 cropping season. Holetta Agricultural Research Center implemented on five seed producer cooperatives. A total of 830 quintals of basic seed of bread wheat, faba bean, chickpea, and malt barley and teff technologies were distributed through EIAR and by the support of USAID_ICARDA faba bean-malt barley project. Overall, in these specific crop technologies a total of 1524 farmers out of which 1192 male and 332 female farmers were directly benefited and more than 680 hectares of land was covered. Over the last five years about 11300.3 quintals of pure seed was produced through the CBSM scheme. Moreover, 80% of the seed produced was inspected and certified by the seed regulatory laboratory and farmers sale their produced seed with 15% premium price. Lastly, to improve the technical skills of zonal and district level agricultural experts and cooperative leaders, TOT was provided on seed production and management technics. Similarly, Various theoretical and practical training on seed production and management practices also given to members of CBSP farmers and kebele development agents. Therefore, these kinds of measures effectively address the severe seed deficit in the community and must continue to be implemented periodically in the future.

Keywords: Community based; Regional; production; seed; smallholder.

DOI: 10.7176/DCS/14-1-02

Publication date: January 31^st 2024