Good seed lays the basis for farmers to increase their yields. Through its varied responses to different management practices, seed plays a major role in determining the level of investment farmers make in their crops. But across Africa, smallholder farmers have very limited access to responsive, high-yielding, locally adapted varieties of their staple food crops. They instead rely on low-quality seed that has been saved and reused, degenerating over the course of decades. Poor seed plus poor soil means that African farmers produce only about one-quarter the global average yield.
The contribution of new seed enterprises emerging in Africa, Asia and Latin America enhances the economic growth of their countries, regions and farmers in the past decade. New improved seed varieties encompasses the essence of agricultural productivity improvement and is a major catalyst for investment in organic and inorganic fertilizer, conservation agriculture practices, and labor to provide a greater pay-off to farmers. Newly emerging seed enterprises explore new markets, make seed of more diverse varieties and crops available, inform and educate farmers: their success is essential for agricultural economies to succeed. Targeting to the African business environment, CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat improvement center) will benefit newly emerging seed enterprises world-wide.
To read complete Article visit: http://seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/articles
No comments:
Post a Comment