On January 24, 2025, a one-day workshop was held in Bonga town, marking a significant step in the establishment of a regional Seed Sector Coordination Committee for the Southwest Ethiopia People’s Region. The workshop brought together key players from the seed sector, including representatives from the Bureau of Agriculture (BoA), the agricultural input regulatory authority, the agricultural research institute, and private seed producers. Other attendees included members from the Ethiopian Agricultural Businesses Corporation, regional seed enterprises, the Agricultural Transformation Institute, the Cooperative Promotion Agency, and ESP.
The event commenced with an opening remark by Mr. Yohannes Melaku, Adviser and Agriculture Bureau head. Yohannes emphasized that seed is a critical input for agricultural transformation and called for active collaboration among stakeholders. He highlighted the region’s vast potential for crop seed production and stressed the need for government support and private sector involvement to address regional seed demands.
Challenges and opportunities in the seed sector
Mr. Mamo Belete, Seed Coordinator at the regional BoA, presented an overview of the current state of the seed sector in the region. He revealed that certified seed coverage in the region is only 11%, with the majority of seeds sourced from informal systems. Despite having numerous actors in the seed value chain, key challenges persist. These include poor coordination, shortages of early generation seed (EGS), lack of hybrid maize seed processing centres, insufficient producers for highland and root/tuber crops, and a lack of agro-dealers to supply seeds to farmers. To address these issues, Mamo outlined potential solutions aimed at improving coordination, increasing production, and enhancing seed supply systems.
Insights from ESP and ISSD experiences
Mohammed Hassena (PhD), ESP Project Manager, shared valuable insights from ISSD’s experiences in improving seed sector coordination. He emphasized the importance of identifying root causes of challenges and fostering collaborative efforts among stakeholders to drive transformative change. Dr. Mohammed urged the regional BoA to prioritize strategic planning and coordination while refraining from duplicating activities carried out by other actors in the sector.
Draft framework for coordination committee
Mr. Asrat Assefa, Deputy Bureau Head of the Agricultural Input and Rural Finance Supply Department presented a draft document outlining the rationale for establishing the Seed Sector Coordination Committee. The document detailed proposed member structures, roles and responsibilities, functions, and meeting schedules.
Participants engaged actively in discussions, appreciating shared experiences and emphasizing the need to strengthen private sector capacity, improve access to finance, and develop seed infrastructure facilities. The significance of establishing a robust seed coordinating body to enhance planning and coordination of seed production and marketing processes was a recurring theme throughout the workshop.
Closing remarks and next steps
The workshop concluded with remarks from Mr. Ashenafi Kinfu, Deputy Head of the BoA. He called on stakeholders to play their roles effectively to overcome challenges in the seed system and boost agricultural productivity in the region. Mr. Ashenaf also expressed gratitude to the workshop organizers for their efforts in facilitating this important initiative.
As a next step, focus areas for the Seed Coordination Committee were identified for the coming year. Roles and responsibilities of various actors in the seed value chain were summarized and will be documented for effective follow-up and monitoring by the BoA.
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