This post is written by Jane Ininda, Head of Seed Systems, AGRA, George Bigirwa Deputy Vice President, Program Innovations and Delivery, AGRA and Aggie  Asiimwe Konde, Vice President, Program Innovations and Delivery, AGRA

The effects of climate change and recurrent disasters such as COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war have drastically contributed to the global food crisis. This has aggravated the situation that has escalated to an extremely low crop productivity among farmers, with a current estimated loss of $30 billion due to declined productivity (FAO, 2022). African governments in particular are in a precarious situation for which food imports (e.g., oil, cereals and legumes) are inevitable. A major contributing factor being the constraint access to inputs, particularly seed and fertilizers. Seed is the most important ingredient and catalyst for crop production; it contributes 40 percent to the total crop yield yet most farmers in Africa today lack crucial access to this basic right and are continuously growing less productive landraces and old varieties.   

AGRA interventions in seed systems have resulted in positive impacts on farmers’ yields. The increased seed access of diverse crops and better seed has contributed to more farmer choice and resilience; more stable, profitable and viable seed businesses; and positive response by governments to seed matters. Since 2007, AGRA has worked with governments and the private sector in Africa and invented models that scale adoption of improved crop varieties of food security crops. The seed sector is constrained in many ways ranging from breeding, early generation and commercial seed production, seed quality, farmer awareness, seed marketing, policy, and planning. The non-functionality of the different components has had a negative impact in the access to high-quality seed by farmers. 

With AGRA interventions and working with other partners, we have come up with models that have propelled access to better and higher yielding varieties. The models include: (i) Development and release of locally adapted new resilient, climate smart and nutrient-dense varieties. More than 685 improved crop varieties have been released with AGRA support between 2008–2018 compared to fewer than 300 varieties released between 1982–2006. Of the 685 varieties released, 65 percent of these varieties are being grown by farmers in 13 countries. This big number of varieties released was achieved by supporting National Agricultural Systems (NARS) breeders with catalytic grants in addition to training breeders at masters and PhD levels such that upon completion each student was tasked to ensure that varieties are released from his or her research project. (ii) Production of Early Generation Seed: Standalone private seed companies to specifically produce EGS were supported; partnerships between public institutions and private companies to jointly produce EGS were supported, selected private seed companies producing certified seed supported to produce EGS for sale to other private seed companies; public research institutes were facilitated to produce EGS on a regular basis for private seed companies. All the above mentioned models for EGS production are still operational and are context specific depending on the circumstances on the ground. As a result of all this, access to EGS has increased to 54 percent while local seed companies are now contributing more than 50 percent of all seed available in countries. (iii) Deployment of technologies to improve seed quality: 20-30 percent of seed sold in Africa is counterfeit causing a loss of USD 400 million annually (CIMMYT, 2018). In Uganda alone,  30 percent of the seed on the market is counterfeit (Access to Seed Index, 2019). AGRA invested in introducing digital technologies to curb the vice. In countries like Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria each seed pack on the market is mandated to have a number you key in to authenticate the source. Seed quality has improved dramatically in these countries and so has the volumes of certified seed and farmers' confidence in using the certified seed on the market. The following figures show the trend of certified seed produced by AGRA-supported seed companies in its countries of operation. 

In Rwanda, the seed quality has increased from 30 to 60 percent as evidenced by post control trials for Rwanda. In Nigeria, fake seed has reduced by 34 percent.  (iv) Support to governments to reform policies and enact seed laws that favor seed business to thrive by attracting private sector. This has resulted in fast tracking variety releases, seed harmonization, access and production of EGS of public varieties, seed marketing, packaging, and authorization of seed inspection. This has not only improved efficiency but also has increased the ease of doing business, distribution, access and adoption of improved seed. (v) Farmer awareness creation to adopt new varieties and good agronomic practices: AGRA has been promoting the private-led extension model through Village Based Advisors (VBA) who extend advisory services to farmers, including provision of small packs of seed of new varieties for farmers to try out in their own localities. The VBAs also establish demonstration plots and hold field days in partnership with public extension agents. The sum total of these interventions is better adoption of varieties and practices, which lead to higher crops yields as evidenced by outcome surveys that showed doubling of maize yields, increase in yields of rice, soybean and beans and adoption of nutrient-rich varieties. AGRA has expanded seed production beyond hybrid maize; expanding from maize to legumes, cereals, rice, and venturing into highly nutritive crops. This kind of crop diversification helps both farmers and seed companies build resilience in case one crop fails due to climate change but also gives market players and end-users wider options.