This presentation was delivered as part of a webinar on 'A digital innovation for seed value chain integration for enhancing quality seed production and market access' by Dr. Lava Kumar, IITA, on January 31 2019.

1. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
A digital innovation for seed value chain integration for
enhancing quality seed production and market access
31 January 2019, RTB CC2.1 Webinar
Lava Kumar
B. Ogunya, T. Ouma, T. Shah, K. Ishiak, P. O. Ojo, E. Diebiru-Ojo, E. Azanio, G. Asmugha,
J. Onyeka, N. Maroya, J Legg, and P. Kulakow
L.kumar@cgiar.org
©Lava Kumar

2. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
• Challenges
• “Seed Tracker” App for integrating seed value chain
• ST Functionalities
• Piloting ST in Nigeria
• ST prospects for RTBs
• Conclusions
Outline

3. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Why?
• Very few professional seed producers
• No or low awareness about regulations and
quality management systems among informal
producers
• Insufficient man power to promote and
enforce quality seed regulations
• Seed regulations are cumbersome and costly
for smallholder seed producers
Frequently asked questions
• Low awareness
• Lack of information
• Drudgery
• Cost
“Most seed in sub-Saharan Africa (~90%) is from informal sector
and seed quality is low or unknown”

4. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
“Low adoption of improved varieties”
“Low varietal turnaround rate”
Frequently asked questions
• Low awareness
• Lack of information
Why?
• Lack of knowledge about improved
varieties
• Source seed not available or buyers
unaware
• Limited knowledge on whereabouts of
seed producers to supply source seed to
promote new varieties

5. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
• A system that informs about released crop varieties and
indicates location of seed availability
• A simple option for seed producers to register seed fields that
automatically fits with countries regulations?
• A platform for breeders / producers / traders to readily find
seed producers / buyers / sellers?
• A simple database for ready access to data on quantities,
location of seed production, quantities of seed by crop,
variety and type of seed and available date?
• Producers can get expert access to advisory on agronomy,
plant health and other subjects on demand?
Imagine
Imagine
Imagine

6. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
The world’s first WepApp
for seed value chain
integration for enhancing
quality seed production
and market access to help
seed producers meet their
potential

7. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
• Offers digital data collection tools usable on any internet enabled device
• Web interface, customized personal / institutional accounts, database and analytics
• Automatically connects with seed value chain actors and organizes information
• Modular platform (users can select desired functions) and customable to fit-user needs
• Adoptable to all crops and countries

8. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Features

9. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Trade interaction
between seed
retailers and
producers
Regulators monitor seed
field registration and
update inspection results
(e-certification)
Database of
-Seed sellers
-Seed producers
-Certifiers
-Seed buyers
-Logistic providers
-Resource consultants
-Knowledge resource
Information on
seed fields
accessible to all
stakeholders (open
access)
Annual inventory
various classes of
seed produced and
traded (with price)
Seed producers input site
details and update crop
management and yields
Features and applications
Bigdata
M&E tool to assess the
status of production,
checks against planned
vs achieved, gaps,
planning

10. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Producer
Seed inventory
Seed field registration/
Certification
Trade / Market
Regulator
Buyer
National database
Company or
personal
database
Barcoding
Seed verification
Variety
Quantity
Available date
One database for seed systems

11. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
TM
“BASICS” Solution to Nigerian Cassava Seed Systems
Building an Economically Sustainable, Integrated Seed
System for Cassava in Nigeria
• Secure accounts to project users (Individual and institutional)
• Access control (data entry / data entry and access / data edit and downloads
• Data security and privacy (access to authorized users only)
• Open access data on a website
Cassava Seed Tracker piloted in Nigeria

12. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org

13. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Improved cassava varieties released in Nigeria

14. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Distribution
Bagging and labelling (??)
Post-harvest sorting (size) and
cleaning (treatment)
Harvesting
Agronomy (rouging, weeding)
Planting (spacing)
Preparation of seeds (sorting and
treatment
Procurement of seeds (authentic
source)
Field preparation
•Post-planting
(2nd inspection
16 to 20 weeks post
planting)
Pest thresholds,
spacing, varietal
purity, weeding,
empty spaces
•Pre-planting
(1st inspection)
Verification of site,
planting material
source
•Harvesting
(3rd and final
inspection)
Stem quality,
stock assessment and
labelling
Digitizing Seed Production and Certification Workflow

15. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
CST workflow
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3 Step 3

16. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org

17. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org

18. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org

20. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org

21. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org

22. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org

23. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org

24. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org

25. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Tracing seed producers
Production → Sale

26. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Digitizing seed certification system in Nigeria

27. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
• Potential to ease operations, reduce costs, and easy to adopt
• Simplifies seed field registration and certification (time and cost saving)
• Real time tracking of status and communications
• Real time data on seed production by crop, variety, seed type and zone
• Trend forecasting and contingency planning
• CST has potential to mainstream national seed system
• New incentive policy to encourage informal seed producer registration

28. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Challenges to promotion
• Change from routine to new system
• Worries on transparency and accountability
• Lack of legislation for digital systems
• Low IT infrastructure among regulators

29. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Versatile platform

30. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Prospects of CST for other crops
• Seed flow map
• Regulatory workflow and quality standards
• Tailoring ST to operational needs
• ST development and tech transfer
• Training users and managers
• Data management plan
• Risk management and technical backstopping

31. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
TM
“game-changing tool to create
economic opportunities in local
communities”
29 November 2018

32. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Team and promoters
Busayo Trushar Turry Mercy Peter
Jim
Dr Khalid Dr Ojo
Jim Norbert James Kathy

33. IITA is a member of the CGIAR System Organization. www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org
Acknowledgments
For more information, contact: Lava Kumar L.kumar@cgiar.org
Margaret McEwan, Jorge Andrade, Rosemary Kihiu, Hemant Nitturkar, and Holly Holmes