Investor Presentaiton
Malawi launched a certified seed growing program to improve yields and
incomes across the legume value-chain
AContext
Low seed quality hinders the development of
the legume/beans sector
Small-hold farmers rely on saved up seeds,
which produce inconsistent/low yields
Low seed volumes and demand deter seed
sellers from introducing new varieties
What did Malawi do?
Developed a wide partnership with farmers to propagate new seed
varieties
•
•
Included small-hold farmers in seed production by working with NASFAM¹
Converted some small farmers into seed growers, by giving them
certified seeds on credit for reproduction (for the first 2 years)
These growers were able to produce their own certified seeds and sell
them to seed traders for a wider profit (Kw350 vs 250 per)
Trainings and demonstrations were provided to farmers on how to
produce and store high quality seeds
Created linkages between farmers and seed traders to market new
varieties
The farmer subsidy program² worked with seed traders to introduce any
newly released certified seeds to growers and regular farmers
Key successes
Improved farmers' yields and incomes
Yields increased by 25-30% in the areas of implementation
Malawi
For certain crops such as groundnuts, yields per hectare doubled
Incomes among small-hold farmers using certified seeds increased by
30%
Boosted the market of certified seeds
Certified seed sales and trade increased by -15-20% annually
More than 395 000 farmers were able to access certified seeds on a
consistent basis
Learnings for Plateau State
Engage with key stakeholders to scale up adoption
• Include small farmers as part of the solution to scale up the adoption
of new farming techniques/inputs
⚫ In partnership with Universities, ASTC, etc. convert some small
farmers into seed growers and link them to cooperatives
Ensure the creation of positive feedback loops
• Accompany market players in their efforts to become self-reliant
during the post-launch phase
Ensure improved revenue of seed growers is used for the right
purposes such as purchases more seeds to enable sustainable
growth
1. National Smallholder Association of Malawi, the largest farmer organization in the country 2. A national input support program that provides farmers subsidized seeds and fertilizers
Source: CGIAR; ICISAT; BCG analysis
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