Development of potato seed quality based innovations for small scale farmers in Burundi

Astère Bararyenya and Annick SEZIBERA

7 Africa Agriculture Science Week and FARA General Assembly,

Kigali 13-16 June 2016Consortium members: CAPAD (led organization, farmer based ), ISABU (Research organization), ITEC(private for profit), WUR (University)

2012-2013; ISABU and CAPAD developed and implemented common projects on seed quality improvement with ASARECA support (132k $),  

New technologies that are small scale farmer friendly (seed plot and positive seed selection)

Many farmers got knowledge and high adoption

2012, PAEPARD support, a farmer based organization lead consortium organized ( 6 partners)-work plan developed, proposal submitted and no success (3.5€).

some members became demotivated, 2014, ARF Funds (236,166 €)

Consortium history

New introduced varieties to frmers, Efforts to seed quality production and envolvement of small scale farmers (big market) Increase use of inputs More farmers interested in the crop as a cash crop, early profit return More than 9000 farmers /CAPAD

FAOstat 2014. Visited June, 2016

 Treatment Results

New variety Vs preferred variety

20 % yield increase (**)

Improved seed vs farmer’s seed

80 %, increase (***)

Early harvest vs normal harvesting period

reduced yield of 30 % (*), and reduced bacterial wilt incidence at the current season’s harvest (**)

Seed from early harvest replanted

increased it drastically in the following crop when replanted (**).

Seed from DLS vs farmer’s practises

30 % yield increase (*)

Chemical fertilizer vs no fertilizer

50 % yield increase (***)

Fungicide sprays vs no spray

60 % yield increase (***)

Results

FULL SEASON HAND OF TRAINING, TRAINING OF TRAINERS (TOTs), MOHTER PLOTS WITH FARMERS, TOTs, EXTENSION SERVICES AS WELL AS

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS

Do not forget low cost facilities

Success

stories

QDS production by small scale farmers/cooperatives

100 % inspection of

registered producers

Internal quality control By ICCs

Pilot QDS assurance system by a private agency

Individual producers

Challenges Maintaining consortium dynamic

(motivation of technical teams, funding mechanisms and their sustainability, coordination, …)

Knowledge communication and dissemination,

Some policies that are less supportive to farmers (farmer’s seed, seed market, ..)

Funding resource limited

What Next Advocate for recognition of farmer’s seed and

the QDS as farmer led quality control scheme, Identify the most promising cultural practices

and the best means of disseminating them, Find participatory mechanisms to engage our

farmers to adopt best-bet practices, Respond to funding opportunities, Diversify foci (crops, nutrition, indigenous

knowledge, food safety, …)

Thank you for your attention