Enhancing Access and Utilization of Quality Seed for improved Food Security in Kenya

Abstract

Increasing agricultural productivity is central to accelerating economic growth and improving the wellbeing of both rural and urban people in Kenya. In deed, the Kenya’s Strategy for Revitalization of Agriculture (SRA) stresses the need to improve access to quality inputs and financial services. Seed is among the most important productive resources that greatly affect productivity. The challenge in Kenya today is to develop seed production and delivery systems that encourage wider use of quality seed throughout the marketing chain. While both the informal and informal seed systems exist in Kenya, evidence shows that vast majority of farmers rely on the informal seed system for seed and planting material for most agricultural commodities, and often continue to recycle seed that has been exhausted through generations of cultivation. The result has been persistently low yields. The overall objective of the study is to enhance seed access and utilization in Kenya. The specific objectives were thus to: (1) assess the structure of the seed system in Kenya and estimate the magnitude of the informal seed source; (2) assess the role of the informal seed systems in improved seed access and utilization and how they can be integrated into the formal seed programs; and, (3) review the seed industry regulatory and legislative framework and propose policy options to improve availability, access and utilization of improved seed. Data for the study is drawn from the Tegemeo Rural household panel data, the stockist interviews and discussions with key stakeholders. Findings of the study indicate that the informal seed system is an important source of seed for farmers. The study identifies some successful approaches to seed access among farmers, including positive selection, contract farming, community-based and marker-led approaches to seed access and utilization. The study also analyses the returns to use of improved seed for a number of crops and its implication on seed use. The seed industry and regulatory framework is reviewed to examine bottlenecks facing private sector investment in seed production and distribution. Policies options to establish a seed market with an effective demand large enough to induce the needed investment and create the competition required to establish a viable and efficient seed industry are explored.