Alexandria, Virginia
July 24, 2008
Source: ASTA e-newsletter July
24, 2008
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) has partnered
with the International Maize and
Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the
U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) on a project in Kenya to test market
segmentation of seed for agricultural development in Africa.
The project seeks to discover whether a market segregation
strategy can be developed that allows improved maize varieties
to be affordable to poor farmers, thus increasing adoption by
these farmers.
Additionally, the strategy would also seek to function
efficiently in an environment of public interventions, such as
subsidies, and prevent excessive leakage to the non-poor, a cost
borne by the private sector.
There are two phases to this project. The first phase recently
concluded with a large stakeholders' meeting in Nairobi, Kenya,
on June 26, 2008, and included seed companies, Kenyan government
officials and local non-governmental organizations.
The purpose of the meeting was to determine whether or not a
market segregation strategy could be developed. After
consideration of the presentations made on results of research
and consultations completed prior to the meeting, it was
determined that it is possible to implement such a strategy.
Further planning was undertaken which led to agreements by the
stakeholders on the major discussion points and to the
development of an action plan for Phase II of the project.
Based on these discussions, Phase II will include a small scale
pilot project which will be conducted in cycle with the long
rains of 2009.
ASTA will circulate the final report from the June meeting to
the ASTA International Executive Committee in the near future
seeking comments on the strategy as it moves forward. |
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