Background & objectives
The project covers two countries
Uganda and Kenya and aims at enabling farmers overcome seed
availability constraints through empowerment to produce quality seed
at community level. This was achieved through training and three
community based organizations in Iganga, Lira and Luweero have so
far benefited. The most successful community organization is
the Bakusekamajja Women’s Group in Iganga district which in 2003
alone produced and sold 40 tons of Longe 1 and at the same time were
contracted by a private seed company to produce 10 tons of Longe 4.
Besides farmers, the project has trained 47 extension agents and
private seed company field officers. The project has also enhanced
the capacity of the national program in the production of breeder
and foundation seed.
Approach
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Farmers in the districts of
Iganga, Lira and Luweero were exposed to improved varieties by
participating in their evaluation both at optimum and sub-optimum
level (without fertilizer). At green maturity stage and at
harvesting, farmers were allowed to make selection using their own
criteria.
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The seed companies whose
hybrids farmers selected were approached to supply seed to those
farming communities farmers and for the open pollinated
varieties whose seed was not easy to come by either because of
high cost or not readily available, farmers were given breeder
seed and trained in how to produce their seed.
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Training farmers in seed
production techniques
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Facilitated farmer groups with
simple equipment like seed treators
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