Companies perspective

Godfrey Katwere

NASECO (1996) Ltd

MLN-free seed production and movement in Africa: Private sector perspective

TOO MANY QUESTIONS UNANSWERED:

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?MLN-free seed production and movement in Africa: Private sector perspective

Companies perspective

TOO MANY QUESTIONS UNANSWERED:

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?MLN-free seed production and movement in Africa: Private sector perspective

Companies perspective

Where are the answers?

Status Uganda

• MLN is seen in mainly border provinces, moving inland slowly

• Seems to be suppressed with high rainfall, outbreaks under drought conditions

• Rare cases in seed production (Limited to Kasese dry belt, and virus tests were negative, but seed was discarded as preventive measure)

MLN in seed production

Seed business =RIP2

Seed business in nature is already complex

First tragedy

Run

Into

Problems

IF no

- Strategy

- $$ back bone

- Alternatives

- Well wishers

Second tradegy

In a very short time

RestInPeace

GAME OVER

Alternative crops, are they an option?

• Beans• Sorghum• Wheat• Millet• Rice• Soybean• Sunflower

Other alternatives:Fast track tolerant material?Teach your customer?

Profitability? Market potential?Hybrids??

Levels of Resistance and MLN virus occurrence in seed?

LEVEL OF RESISTANCE OCCURANCE MCMVALLOWED

SUSCEPTIBLE NOT ACCEPTED

LOW TOLERANCE ??

HIGH TOLERANCE ?????

RESISTANCE ?????????

• Knowledge on MLN

• More costly production (control measures, …)

• Production based on chance (Gambling) (will you

get MLN or not)

• Parent seed production?

• Regional trade, cross border seed trade

• Reduced sales? Losses? Closure?

Business future if maize is your leading and profitable product

SEED PRODUCTIONHow effective and cost efficient are the control measures on

larger production scale?– How applicable are the measures? (spray every week cocktails?)

– How manageable are the measures– Cost of the measures

• Large seed growers /Seed farm versus small scale growers? What is better?:– Better management– Spray management– Weed control– Time management

After doing all possible, nothing says you will not have MLN?And if MLN in field, who says it will be in the seed?

MLN FREE PARENTSEED?

• Irrigation water spread of MLN?

• Several bulking blocks at different planting dates (so no early planting)

• Small lots, costly lab testing

• Over produce parent seed + massive carry over stock?

• More planning needed

Regional trade

- Time to test seed, even for small lots

- Integrity (companies changing lots?)

- Contradicting results from various laboratories‘

- No clear guidelines/policies

- Post testing upon arrival, missing the planting seasons

- Finger pointing seed companies or

- Blacklisting/black mailing seed companies?

MLN: it’s not may but is a

trade barrier!