Kilwinger Fleur, Mugambi Samuel, Manners Rhys, Schut Marc, Tumwegamire Silver, Nduwumuremyi Athanase, Bambara Sylvie, Paauwe Marthe, Almekinders Conny
Knowledge, Technology and Innovation (KTI), Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Rwanda.
Outlook Agric. 2021 Dec;50(4):441-454. doi: 10.1177/00307270211045408. Epub 2021 Nov 30.
The overdependency on local cassava varieties and informal seed sources by farmers in Rwanda has contributed to the spread of cassava viral diseases. The use of improved planting materials made available through formal seed sources, that assure seed quality, is one way to prevent future disease outbreaks. In order to increase the availability of, and farmers access to, such materials there is increasing interest to develop seed business models. This study aims to understand seed sourcing practices of different farm typologies to inform the development of tailored seed business models. A total of 390 farmers were interviewed and the collected data was analyzed into clusters, resulting in seven farm typologies. Seed sourcing strategies, seed replacement dynamics and purchasing behavior of these typologies were explored via a seed tracing study. We find that more commercial oriented farmers have better access to formal seed sources. Nevertheless, the majority of farmers in all typologies accessed new varieties and quality cassava seed via informal channels. At both formal and informal sources, cash investments in seed were mainly made by the categories of better-off farmers, and were one-time investments to acquire a new variety. Based on farmers current seed sourcing practices, clarifications on the differences between farmers and their willingness-to-pay, the roles of seed degeneration, cost-benefit analysis, value propositions and profit formulas seem important requirements for the further development of viable cassava seed business models. We conclude that tailoring seed business models can have a high potential as it acknowledges differences among farmers, but that careful coordination is needed to ensure that one approach or intervention does not contrast with and/or undermine the others.
卢旺达农民对当地木薯品种和非正式种子来源的过度依赖，导致了木薯病毒病的传播。使用通过正式种子来源提供的、能确保种子质量的改良种植材料，是预防未来疾病爆发的一种方法。为了增加此类材料的供应并使农民能够获取，人们对开发种子商业模式的兴趣日益浓厚。本研究旨在了解不同农场类型的种子采购做法，为制定量身定制的种子商业模式提供参考。共采访了390名农民，并将收集到的数据进行聚类分析，得出了七种农场类型。通过种子追踪研究，探讨了这些类型的种子采购策略、种子更换动态和购买行为。我们发现，更具商业导向的农民更容易获得正式种子来源。然而，所有类型的大多数农民都是通过非正式渠道获取新品种和优质木薯种子的。在正式和非正式来源，对种子的现金投资主要由较富裕的农民类别进行，并且是为获取新品种的一次性投资。基于农民目前的种子采购做法，明确农民之间的差异及其支付意愿、种子退化的作用、成本效益分析、价值主张和利润公式，似乎是可行的木薯种子商业模式进一步发展的重要要求。我们得出结论，量身定制种子商业模式具有很大潜力，因为它承认农民之间的差异，但需要仔细协调，以确保一种方法或干预措施不会与其他方法形成对比和/或破坏其他方法。
