The Food and Business Knowledge Platform covered the release of the study by the Access to Seeds Foundation focused on improving access to seeds by smallholder farmers. This study was done in preparation of the Regional Access to Seeds Index for Eastern Africa.
The report (PDF) provides baseline information on the East African regional seed sector detailing both regional and country specific scenarios. The research is based on existing literature and interviews with regional and national seed sector actors. Twelve countries are included: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The report covers seed sector profiles of each country and shows that they are at different stages of agricultural development. Results indicate that the countries are heavily dependent on agriculture while smallholders contribute the bulk of the production. The formal seed sector is not well developed and therefore the majority of farmers still depend on informal sources. The data is covering the diverse industry players, the major food crops, the prevailing business environment, the agricultural growth potential and the challenges being faced by farmers.
