CIP’s Potato Strategy for Africa: Improving Livelihoods of Potato Farmers in Africa by

Tackling Deteriorated Seed Quality through an Integrated Approach

Parker, M.L, Schulte-Geldermann, E. ,Ortiz. O, Andrade J. Schulz. S., Kakuhenzire, R., Demo, P., Lungaho C..

EAPR 2014 Conference, Scientific session “Potato and global food security “Monday 7 July from 14:00 to 16:00

Major bottleneck is limited access to quality seed

Limited access to varieties with robust traits

Minimal knowledge of good agricultural practices

Minimal capacity to store tubers (seed and ware)

Development challenge

Yields average 6-10 t/ha

Realistic yields in SSA 20-30 t/ha

Consultative process including National programs, private sector, NGOs, farmer federation, sub-regional organizations, resulted in a roadmap to guide investment in potato value chains

Response

Quality seed is the key entry point for vibrant potato value

chains

Improving Livelihoods of Potato Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa by Tackling Deteriorated Seed

Quality through an Integrated Approach

Strategic Objective for SSA

Proposed Outcomes

High-yielding, disease tolerant potato varieties

yields by at least 50%

and

income by US$800/ha/season

Rapid access to quality seed through an efficient seed system

INCLUSIVE

Target countries

Current Target Ethiopia Rwanda

Kenya Uganda

Malawi Burundi

Mozambique DRC

Tanzania Madagascar

Cameroon

(Nigeria)

The flagship and linked products are representative of existing interventions

Robust market-demanded varieties

Population improvement and variety development Tolerance to combinations of major biotic and abiotic

stresses User-preferred table, nutritional and processing

qualities Engaging farmers in participatory variety evaluations

(agronomic and organoleptic)

Seed technologies and business models

Specialised early

generation seed

Decentralised seed

production

National programsCommercial enterprises

Improved access to

quality seed

Locally available seed, planted at 2

to 2.5 t/ha

Network of seed multipliers in potato

producing areas

Onward multiplication of early generation seed

Improve accessibility to quality seed

tissue culture/minitubers/ first field generations

↓decentralised multipliers

tissue culture↓

minitubers/first field generations↓

decentralised multipliers

Decentralised multiplication

On-farm seed quality and ICM technologies

Adaptive research on technologies for on-farm seed quality management

ICM and GAP to manage major pests and diseases, improve productivity

Postharvest storage for seed and ware potato producers

Protocols for seed quality control to complement formal certification

Quality declared planting material (QDPM)

Collaborate to improve seed certification protocols and implementation

Affordable disease diagnostic tools

Locally adapted protocols for seed quality control

Awareness campaigns to create demand

Raise awareness of the value of potato, quality seed and improved varieties

Demand for quality seed potato, farmers recognise benefits of using quality seed

Information flow: where, what, when, cost…

Scaling strategies and evidence base

Test and implement methodologies to generate • innovations on large-scale production and use of

quality seed• effective linkages among value chain actors

3G project proof of concept for scaling out integrated approach to accessing quality seed (Ke, Rw and Ug)

Country-specific intervention models endorsed and supported by national authorities

Partnerships

Strong partnership and relationships

National programs, NGOs, Private sector, International institutions, Farmer Groups, SROs

Example private sector: Kisima Farm, Meru Kenya Annually produce 200,000 minitubers Multiply seed on 80 ha, annually producing 2000

tonnes Invested in cold storage facilities (1000 t) Seed prices have dropped in Meru region by 25 to 50%

Smallholder seed users have doubled yields

Reaching goals, Achieving impact

In Ethiopia, 2 years after project pull-out, communities still benefiting from intervention to support seed production

• food security clearly improved• families eating 3 meals a day• assets increased (purchased oxen)

Quality seed is key entry point for a vibrant potato sector Sustainable development dependant on collaborative action Functioning seed systems require investment in knowledge

and infrastructure

Asante Merci

Murakoze Thank you

Gracias Obrigado

አመሰግናለሁ

Zikomo

Dank u wel