Review on Progress, Success, and Challenges in Ethiopian Vegetable Seed System

Abstract

Vegetable production plays crucial role in the Ethiopia economy. It also has got due policy attention from the government. As a result there is steady increase in vegetable production over the last years. Much of the increased production comes as a result of area expansion and increase in small scale irrigation, enabling two or more production/year. But the implementation of the policy on seed system development, variety development, seed multiplication and distribution and quality control is weak or lacking. The vegetable seed system is mainly based on informal system where farmer saved seeds are used for own production for some of the vegetables for which improved varieties are not available. Research released varieties are disseminated through intermediate systems through which varieties are demonstrated, multiplied and distributed by groups of farmers or motivated private farmers. The national research system is playing significant role in variety development, variety promotion and seed supply for such vegetable crop. However, cool season vegetable crops such cabbage, carrot, beet root, carrot , lettuce and Swiss Chard are not given due attention largely due to limited access to germplasm as well as low technical capacity and capability to work on these vegetables. As a result the bulk of seed for these vegetables is imported by parastatal enterprises and private companies.

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/13-2-04

Publication date: January 31^st 2023