The dilemma for this farmer—as described by CIMMYT maize physiologist Marianne Bänziger— may be simple, but solving the problem is not. CIMMYT adjunct scientist Peter Setimela is working with myriad partners in southern Africa to establish sustainable systems for delivering appropriate seed to small-scale farmers.

“My job is somewhat improvisational,” says Setimela. “I’m looking for ways for CIMMYT to make a difference by capitalizing on its science, its knowledge of the problems, and its awareness of stakeholders’ diverse needs and concerns. Several countries and CSOs are working on seed production. We’re also linking with seed companies to see how much seed they process, and what type. Sometimes there’s enough seed, but distribution is inadequate.”

A recent visit to Malawi took Setimela to the office of Jeff H. Luhanga, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Research and Technical Services of the Ministry of Agriculture. “With government assistance, 1,500 farmers have ventured into seed production,” says Luhanga, “and the government and CSOs have helped farmers to form associations that address issues of seed production, marketing, and linkages to seed companies.”

Farmers also urgently need accurate information about seed. Setimela and Bänziger have developed and distributed a guide to the openpollinated maize varieties (OPVs) available in Africa. The guide (see next story) helps people choose the best variety for their particular circumstances and provides contact information for seed suppliers.

“We also work with extension to train farmers to produce seed of OPVs, as well as to come up with seed production systems that work,” says Setimela. “The crux is marketing! If small-scale farmers are linked to a seed company, they know the company will package and sell the seed.”

Marketing through the private sector

In Malawi, Setimela also visited the Lilongwe office of Seed-Co, Ltd., which is producing well over 2,000 tons of seed of drought-tolerant varieties for sale in Malawi in 2003. The varieties were developed through the Southern African Drought and Low Soil Fertility Project (SADLF), described on "Why Seed Matters: Hunger Grows in a Land of Hybrids".

“We’re propagating three of their OPVs—ZM421, 521, and 621— which are quite good,” says John Lungu, the Seed-Co production manager. This seed promises to be a reasonably-priced, key input for many maize farmers, as well as a welcome source of income for others. Lungu reckons that some 130 farmers—many of them smallholders— produce OPV seed for Seed-Co.

The CSO connection

Most of Seed-Co’s OPV seed is being produced for CSOs involved in community seed production schemes throughout Malawi. One example is the work of World Vision International
in the Chitera Area Development Program, about 20 kilometers from Blantyre in southern Malawi. Setimela traveled to Chitera with World Vision officer Walter Mwachande.

Chitera has a population density of nearly 450 persons per square kilometer, meaning that the average farm household of about five members must gain its food and livelihood from less than half a hectare of land. According to Mwachande, the area has always been food insecure, so work has aimed at raising yields. In four years of trials with hybrids as well as OPVs, the outstanding performer has been ZM521. “ZM521 outyielded all others, and farmers like its other qualities—early maturity, poundability, good flour quality, high yields, taste, resistance to head smut, and superior drought tolerance,” says Mwachande.

World Vision International has worked in Chitera for 12 years and administers the European Union-funded Agricultural Production and Investment Program. The program provides inputs and “loans” about 20 tons of seed to 2,000 farmers. The farmers pay for the seed, which is enough to sow about half a hectare, with earnings from their harvest. World Vision charges 40 kwacha (about US$ 0.48) per kilogram of seed— about three times the market price for grain and just enough to cover costs.

World Vision procured seed last year from Zimbabwe, but this year they want to produce it locally. The farmers have produced seed of other crops but are just learning the complexities of producing high-quality maize seed. CIMMYT and the Chitedze Research Station are providing the foundation seed for future community seed production efforts. World Vision is furnishing some training and linking to organizations that can provide training in accounting and marketing.

Regionalizing seed
production and marketing

A new CIMMYT study sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation is taking a much closer look at seed marketing incentives to foster the spread of improved seed among southern Africa’s poorest farmers. Augustine Langyintuo, the CIMMYT economist conducting the study, explains that some of the technical, economic, and institutional constraints that prevent poor households from acquiring commercial maize seed are well known but not always well documented. By gathering detailed information about the organization and performance of seed production and distribution systems, the study should help seed company officials and/or policymakers to identify bottlenecks in seed supply and enable them to implement reforms.

CIMMYT and others are already exploring the possibility of approaching seed delivery from a regional perspective. In April 2003, CIMMYT, ICRISAT, and other stakeholders from the public and private sector took part in discussions led by the Seed Security Network of SADC on the regional harmonization of seed laws. CIMMYT geographic information system (GIS) tools, together with information from SADC trials, were used to show the advantages of exploiting new varieties across eco-regions rather than within national borders. CIMMYT and ICRISAT scientists also helped develop a working model that was used for discussion.

“CIMMYT is not just about finding a good variety, distributing it to solve one problem or set of problems, and then going on to the next variety,” says Bänziger. “We look at each and every part of the system and see where we can make a difference.”

	For more information:
	p.setimela@cgiar.org

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February, 2004