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 programs

Commercial

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