Seed companies, researchers and dealers recently launched the Global Development Alliance in Nairobi, Kenya

Ian Barker, the Head of Agricultural Partnerships at Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. Seed companies, researchers and dealers recently launched the Global Development Alliance. PHOTO | COURTESY

In Summary

• Global Development Alliance is an initiative of the USAid that brings together public and private sectors to improve access to seeds.
• The three-year project would cost $2.1 million funded by the USAid.
• There are pioneering seed companies in Kenya selling thousands of metric tonnes of bean seeds, which wasn’t popular before.
• There is a myth that there is no business opportunity for producing seeds of non-core crops.

Seed companies, researchers and dealers recently launched the Global Development Alliance in Nairobi in partnership with USAid. Ian Barker is the Head of Agricultural Partnerships at Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. He spoke to Leopold Obi about what the alliance is all about and what farmers should expect from it

What is the Global Development Alliance?

It is an initiative of the USAid that brings together public and private sectors to improve access to seeds. It comprises of researchers from Egerton University, Kalro, African Agricultural Technology Foundation, farmers involved in potato seeds, seed companies from Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Senegal and Mali, besides service providers in the seed sector such as One Acre Fund.

What difference will the alliance bring to the local seed industry?

The problem we are trying to solve is to enhance farmers’ access to quality hybrid seeds, and expand their choices in seeds acquisition.

If you want to buy maize here in Kenya for instance, you have a wide choice because there are over 35 companies dealing in maize seeds business.

However, if you wanted to buy soy bean seeds, or common bean seeds or groundnuts or sorghum seeds, you’ll find that you have very minimal choices compared to farmers in other parts of the world.

We want to build better partnership between public sector and the private sector to encourage seed production of ‘non-core crops’ with emphasis on value addition.

The three-year project would cost $2.1 million funded by the USAid. The project will also assist regional bodies and member states in the practical and transparent implementation of regionally harmonised seed schemes.

What factors diminish choices for seed acquisition among smallholder farmers in Africa?

It’s a combination of regulation and entrepreneurship. Africa has over 50 countries all with different sets of laws and regulations, which means the market is highly fragmented.

The continent also has a wide range of agri-ecology and different types of farming systems, which makes it more fragmented compared to places like India. But fundamentally, we think seed access is achievable.

Many companies prioritise maize seed commercialisation. Is seed production for non-core crops really less profitable?

There is a myth that there is no business opportunity for producing seeds of non-core crops. In Zambia, there is a company selling millions of dollars of soy bean seeds to small-scale farmers.

There are pioneering seed companies in Kenya selling thousands of metric tonnes of bean seeds, which wasn’t popular before.

It is easier to teach or get a maize seeds producing company to start producing bean seeds than start a new seed company.

So we need to build on that foundation we already have, and get them interested in beans, rice, potatoes and soy beans which adds to diet diversification and farmers’ resilience.

Are there particular crops that this programme targets?

We are currently working with five countries namely Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Senegal and Mali. In Kenya, we are interested in Irish potatoes, soy beans, common beans, groundnuts, striga resistant maize and vegetables.

How can seed companies overcome the challenge of taking up new crop varieties and promoting them to local farmers?

It is still quite risky for seed companies. To begin with, one needs to find a breeder who researches on the crops and gets licensed to acquire seeds.

On the other hand, we can introduce a commercialiser to a seed breeder, or find an anchor buyer – big organisation like One Acre Fund in Western Kenya, which is looking for a quite significant amount of seeds to distribute to farmers, or a value chain players, for instance, a soy bean processor or importer to be a first buyer then you put up a network to sell to the open market.

But some crops just sell themselves like Irish potatoes, for instance, where there is a huge demand for the seeds while supply is low.

We also intend to drive the demand for certified seeds by linking them to credit. Loans won’t be given in cash, instead it will be a voucher that farmers will redeem as they buy the seeds from an agro-dealers.