Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c47g7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T21:39:22.365Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE SEED SECTOR OF RICE IN GUINEA: STAKEHOLDERS, PERCEPTION AND INSTITUTIONAL LINKAGES

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2011

FLORENT OKRY ,
PAUL VAN MELE ,
EDWIN NUIJTEN ,
PAUL C. STRUIK  and
ROCH L. MONGBO
FLORENT OKRY*
Affiliation:
Technology and Agrarian Development group, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen, the Netherlands
PAUL VAN MELE
Affiliation:
Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), 01 BP 2031 Cotonou, Benin
EDWIN NUIJTEN
Affiliation:
Technology and Agrarian Development group, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen, the Netherlands
PAUL C. STRUIK
Affiliation:
Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, the Netherlands
ROCH L. MONGBO
Affiliation:
Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526 Cotonou, Benin
*
‡Corresponding author: florent.okry@wur.nl; okryflorent@yahoo.fr
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

This paper analyses the organization of the rice seed sector in Guinea with the overall objectives to assess how organizational settings affect seed supply to small-scale farmers and to suggest institutional changes that would favour seed service and uptake of varieties. Data were collected in Guinea, West Africa, using focus group discussions with extension workers, farmers, representatives of farmers’ associations, agro-input dealers, researchers and non-governmental organization (NGO) staff, and surveys of 91 rice farming households and 41 local seed dealers. Findings suggest that the current institutional settings and perceptions of stakeholders from the formal seed sector inhibit smallholder farmers’ access to seed. Seed interventions in the past two decades have mainly relied on the national extension system, the research institute, NGOs, farmers’ associations and contract seed producers to ensure seed delivery. Although local seed dealers play a central role in providing seed to farmers, governmental organizations operating in a linear model of formal seed sector development have so far ignored their role. We discuss the need to find common ground and alternative models of seed sector development. In particular we suggest the involvement of local seed dealers in seed development activities to better link the formal and the informal seed systems and improve smallholder farmers’ access to seed from the formal sector.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , January 2011 , pp. 137 - 157
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Almekinders, C. and Thiele, G. (2003). What to do with the seed for small-scale farmers after all? Questions on seed supply strategies for the formal sector, considering PPB successes. Cultivos Tropicales 24:5–8.Google Scholar
Almekinders, C. J. M. and Louwaars, N. P. (2002). The importance of the farmers’ seed systems in a functional national seed sector. Journal of New Seeds 4:15–33.Google Scholar
Almekinders, C. J. M., Thiele, G. and Danial, D. L. (2007). Can cultivars from participatory plant breeding improve seed provision to small-scale farmers? Euphytica 153:363–372.Google Scholar
Bam, R. K., Craufurd, P. Q., Dorward, P. T., Asiedu, E. A., Kumaga, F. K. and Ofori, K. (2007). Introducing improved cultivars: understanding farmers’ seed drying and storage practices in central Ghana. Experimental Agriculture 43:301–317.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barry, M. B., Pham, J-L., Noyer, J. L., Billot, C., Courtois, B. and Ahmadi, N. (2007). Genetic diversity of the two cultivated rice species (O. sativa and O. glaberrima) in Maritime Guinea. Evidence for interspecific recombination. Euphytica 154:127–137.Google Scholar
Benor, D., Harrison, J. Q. and Braxer, M. (1984). Agricultural Extension: The Training and Visit System. Washington DC, World Bank.Google Scholar
Bentley, J. W., Tripp, R. and Delgado de la Flor, R. (2001). Liberalization of Peru's formal seed sector. Agriculture and Human Values 18:319–331.Google Scholar
Cromwell, E. and Tripp, R. (1994). Proximity is a plus: the economics of farmers seed production and distribution in developing countries. In Seed Production by Smallholders Farmers Proceedings of the ILCA/ICARDA Research Planning Workshop on Seed Production by Smallholder Farmers, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), 13–15 Jun 1994.Google Scholar
David, S., Mukandala, L. and Mafuru, J. (2002). Seed availability, an ignored factor in crop varietal adoption studies: A case study of beans in Tanzania. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 21:5–20.Google Scholar
David, S. (2004). Farmer seed enterprises: a sustainable approach to seed delivery? Agricultural and Human Values 21:387–397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dorward, P., Craufurd, P., Marfo, K., Dogbe, W. and Bam, R. (2007). Improving participatory varietal selection processes: participatory varietal selection and the role of informal seed diffusion mechanisms for upland rice in Ghana. Euphytica 155:315–327.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duijndam, F. P., Evenhuis, C. J. and Parlevliet, J. E. (2007). Production and use of maize seed for sowing in Bolivia, Ecuador. Euphytica 153:343–351.Google Scholar
IRAG (Institut de Recherche Agronomique de Guinée) (1996). Rapport annuel d'activités de l'IRAG 1995. Conakry.Google Scholar
IRAG (Institut de Recherche Agronomique de Guinée) (2000). L'IRAG de 1997 à 1998. CIRAD.Google Scholar
Jaffee, S. and Srivastava, J. (1994). The roles of the private and public sectors in enhancing the performance of seed systems. The World Bank Research Observer 9:97–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jiggins, J. and Collins, K. (2003). Stakeholders and stake holding in social learning for integrated catchments management and sustainable use of water. Thematic paper, Social Learning for the Integrated Management.Google Scholar
Jones, R.B., Audi, P.A. and Tripp, R. (2001). The role of informal seed systems in disseminating modern varieties. The example of pigeonpea from a semi-arid area of Kenya. Experimental Agriculture 37:539–548.Google Scholar
Louwaars, N. (2007). Seeds of confusion: the impact of policies on seed systems. PhD thesis. Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands.Google Scholar
MAEF (Ministère de l'Agriculture des Eaux et Forets) (2007a). Politique Nationale de Développement Agricole Vison 2015. Vol. 1: Bilan Diagnostic de la LPDA 2 (1998–2005). Conakry.Google Scholar
MAEF (Ministère de l'Agriculture des Eaux et Forets) (2007b). Nouvelle Vision de l'Agriculture Guinéenne. Politique Nationale de Développement Agricole vison 2015. Vol. 2: Orientations et axes stratégiques. Conakry.Google Scholar
Marfo, K. A., Dorward, P. T., Craufurd, P. Q., Ansere-Bioh, F., Haleegoah, J. and Bam, R. (2008). Identifying seed uptake pathways: the spread of Agya amoah rice cultivar in southwestern Ghana. Experimental Agriculture 44:257–269.Google Scholar
McDonald, M. B. (1998). Seed quality assessment. Seed Science Research 8:265–275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morris, L. and Bellon, R. (2004). Participatory plant breeding research: opportunities and challenges for the international crop improvement system. Euphytica 136:21–35.Google Scholar
Ndjeunga, J. (2002) Local village seed systems and pearl millet seed quality in Niger. Experimental Agriculture 38:149–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nuijten, E. and Almekinders, C. J. M. (2008). Mechanisms explaining variety naming by farmers and name consistency of rice varieties in The Gambia. Economic Botany 62: 148–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nuijten, E. (2005). Farmer management of gene flow: the impact of gender and breeding system on genetic diversity and crop improvement in the Gambia. PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands.Google Scholar
Nuijten, E., Van Treuren, R., Struik, P. C., Mokuwa, A., Okry, F., Teeken, B. and Richards, P. (2009). Evidence for the emergence of new rice types of interspecific hybrid origin in West-African farmers’ fields. PLoS ONE 4:e7335. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Okry, F. (2005). A socio-technical development of a seed (planting material) system: The case of yam in the Republic of Benin. MSc thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands.Google Scholar
Okry, F., Dalohoun, D. N., Diawara, S., Barry, M. B. and Van Mele, P. (2011). Networks that work. In African Seed Enterprises: Sowing the Seeds of Food Security (Eds. Van Mele, P., Bentley, J. W. and Guéi, R. G.). Wallingford: CABI Publishing.Google Scholar
Richards, P. (1986). Coping with Hunger: Hazard and Experiment in an African Rice-farming System. London: Allen and Unwin.Google Scholar
Richards, P. (2009). Knowledge networks and farmer seed systems. In Farmer First Revisited: Innovation for Agricultural Research and Development, 233–237 (Eds Scoones, I. and Thompson, J.). Warwickshire: Practical Action Publishing.Google Scholar
Rossignol, L. (2008). La problématique de l'approvisionnement en semences de riz en zone de mangrove. Projet riz Basse Guinée. Conakry.Google Scholar
Rubyogo, J. C. and Sperling, L. (2009). Developing seed systems in Africa. In Farmer First Revisited: Innovation for Agricultural Research and Development, 52–57 (Eds Scoones, I. and Thompson, J.). Warwickshire: Practical Action Publishing.Google Scholar
Seboka, B. and Deressa, A. (2000). Validating the farmers’ indigenous social networks for local seed supply in central Rift valley of Ethiopia. Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 6:245–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SG2000 (Sassakawa Global 2000). (2005). Rapport Final 1996–2004. Conakry.Google Scholar
SNPRV (Service National de la Promotion Rurale et de la Vulgarisation). (2001). Multiplication and Diffusion of Community-Based Seeds of NERICA Rices Developed by WARDA. Conakry.Google Scholar
Song, Y. (1998). “New” Seed in “Old” China: Impact of CIMMYT Collaborative Programme on Maize Breeding in South-Western China. PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands.Google Scholar
Sperling, L. and Cooper, H. D. (2003). Understanding seed systems and seed security. In Improving the Effectiveness and Sustainability of Seed Relief. Proceedings of a stakeholders’ workshop, Rome, 26–28 May. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization.Google Scholar
Sperling, L. (2002). Emergency seed aid in Kenya: some case study insights on lessons learned during the 1990s. Disasters 26: 329–342.Google Scholar
Thiele, G. (1999). Informal potato seed systems in the Andes: Why are they important and what should we do with them? World Development 27:83–99.Google Scholar
Tripp, R. and Pal, S. (2001). The private delivery of public crop varieties: Rice in Andhra Pradesh. World Development 29:103–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tripp, R. (2001). Seed Provision and Agricultural Development. Oxford, ODI/James Currey.Google Scholar
Van Mele, P., Bentley, J. W. and Guéi, R. G. (eds) (2011). African Seed Enterprises: Sowing the Seeds of Food Security. Wallingford: CABI Publishing.Google Scholar
Vogt, W. P. (1999). Dictionary of Statistics and Methodology: A Non-technical Guide for the Social Sciences. London: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
WARDA. (2007). Africa rice trends: Overview of recent developments in the Sub-Saharan African rice sector. Cotonou: Africa Rice Center.Google Scholar
Wiggins, S., and Cromwell, E. (1995). NGOs and seed provision to smallholders in developing countries. World Development 23: 413–422.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Witcombe, J. R., Joshi, A., Joshi, K. D. and Sthapit, B. R. (1996). Farmer participatory crop improvement. I: Varietal selection and breeding methods and their impact on biodiversity. Experimental Agriculture 32: 445–460.Google Scholar
Witcombe, J. R., Petre, R., Jones, S. and Joshi, A. (1999). Farmer participatory crop improvement. IV the spread and impact of a rice variety identified by participatory varietal selection. Experimental Agriculture 35:471–487.Google Scholar