SEED SOURCES, ORGANIZATION AND COST

1. SEED SOURCES, ORGANIZATION AND COST

2. Introduction • SCC -VI Agroforestry promotes Agroforestry as an engine of economic growth. • The development objective is to contribute to “improved livelihood and empowerment of small scale farmers in the Lake Victoria Basin through sustainable management of natural resources and business development • The project has two objectives namely: • Increased firewood, wood, food & nutritional security at household level • Sustainable market oriented production established with emphasis on agro forestry products SCC-VIAFP Presentation

3. Seed Sources Introduction • In SCC-VI Agroforestry we are involved in direct germplasm supply to the smallholder farmers. • It all begins with the smallholder farmers identifying the species they would want to plant for various uses like soil fertility improvement, surface run-off control, fodder, fuel wood, fruit production, poles and for timber. • After identification the information is forwarded to the seed unit by the extension officers who compile the requests for the whole area of operation. • We then go ahead and identify the various sources who mainly are: • Farmer groups trained in local seed collection • KEFRI or • Other qualified seed vendors SCC-VIAFP Presentation

4. General Seed Sources • General Seed Sources • Natural forests: Suam forest, Mt Elgon National Park, Saiwa Swamp National Park • Farmland • Plantations: Cherangany and Endebess divisions • The sources are identified through a survey conducted by the project to ensure good quality seeds • Both the project staff and the seed collectors establish the seed maturity before collection by observation of flower, seed and carrying out maturity tests. Suam forest: One of the seed sources SCC-VIAFP Presentation

5. Seed collector groups • These are groups composed of women and men who are doing seed collection as a business • They may also own some seedling production nurseries • The project trains them intensively on seed collection and storage and monitors how they do it. • After the training, they are contracted to supply seeds to the project. • There are three major groups; Cherangany, Saboti and Kwanza • They collect, process and sell seed to the project on agreed dates. A group of seed collectors SCC-VIAFP Presentation

6. Seed sources cont. Seeds from fruit consumption For most of these seed farmers get them after eating fruits, either got on-farm or purchased at local markets. E.g. Carica papaya, Mangifera indica, Psidium guajava, passion fruits, Syzigium cuminii. The commercial seedling points around urban areas get most of their fruit seeds from the market centres. SCC-VIAFP Presentation

7. Species supplied • Some of the species supplied by the seed collector groups are: • Sesbania sesban • Grevillea robusta • Albizia spp. • Casuarina equisetifolia • Carrica papaya • Cassimiroa edulis • Mangifera indica • Markhamia lutea etc. • Croton macrostachyus • Prunus africana • Cordia africana • Warbugia ugandensis • Olea capensis Seed collectors selling seed to SCC-VI Project in Kitale SCC-VIAFP Presentation

8. Other Sources of Seed • These include KEFRI and other vendors who supply species not available or are available in limited quantities from the seed collector groups • These species include: • Leucaena trichandra • Calliandra callothyrsus • Xanthoxylum gilletti • Fallow spps e.g. Crotalaria grahamiana • Other Vi-projects We source various seeds from other projects with similar ecological conditions as ours, (Mwanza, Musoma, and Kitale). In these areas activities started much earlier and have established seed sources) SCC-VIAFP Presentation

9. Organization of seed source & supply • Viagroforestry project provides starter seed for the various AF species. • In the initial stages the farmers with interest are encouraged to form groups where they receive training on seed technology( source identification, flowering and maturation, harvesting techniques, processing, testing and storage and other basic seed technology issues) • Individual farmers collect seeds for personal use and for commercial purposes • Groups for commercial purposes • Umbrella organization has been established in some parts of the project (lower Nyakach), where seed dealers share issues of sourcing, marketing and capacity building. SCC-VIAFP Presentation

10. Collaborators, Institutions, Individuals Field Officers Seed unit: Seed procurement, storage, distribution Seed vendors (Women groups), dealers, collectors (seed sources) Organization of seed source & supply Request Supply Farmers (Farmer groups) SCC-VIAFP Presentation

11. Cost • Pricing • The seed purchase prices are set based on the KEFRI pricing policy and adjusted according to the local market. • Pricing of seed is dependent of the market forces, availability of the species and the amount of work and time involved in the collection and processing. We are re-adjust prices once per year to take into account the realities.. • Some of the seed are costed by the specific harvesters basing on the input cost of the seed/germplasm, that is time spent, labour cost etc. • When selling to external buyers the prices are set higher than the purchase price from farmers SCC-VIAFP Presentation

12. Thank you!! For listening