Seeds of Development Program

Overview

The Seeds of Development Program (SODP), an innovative initiative designed to improve access to appropriate and affordable seeds for low-income smallholder farmers through business development services (BDS) training for small to medium-sized local seed companies in East and Southern Africa.

Recognizing the importance of business networks as innovative institutions to enhance the competitiveness of agribusinesses, MM Inc. has set up and coordinated the network “Seeds of Development Program” (SODP) that has facilitated business-to-business relationships among privately-owned African seed companies. As a result of their membership in the program, these emerging market firms have benefited from increased access to information, resources, and business opportunities.

Established in 2003, SODP is an award winning project that has created a powerful network of 25 locally owned, emerging seed companies operating in eight countries in East, Southern, and West Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, and Mali). SODP operates through a Fellows Program; selected seed companies that serve smallholder farmers in Africa may join the program by invitation.

THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE SODP ARE TO:

– Build management capacity of small to medium-sized local seed companies in order to improve their market delivery systems for low-income farmers;

– Create platforms for networking among African seed companies, research institutions and other seed industry stakeholders to improve the former’s effectiveness in meeting the needs of smallholder farmers;
– Conduct research on the seed industry that will guide strategies of locally-owned seed companies serving resource-poor farmers and inform public policy.

These objectives are accomplished through a number of activities including workshop training, distance learning, field visits, one-on-one consultations, Seed Trading Forum, student attachments, and research.

For more information on SODP, please download the brochure or email the program coordinator, Dr. Edward Mabaya at em37@cornell.edu.

Program Activities

SODP objectives are accomplished through a Fellows Program, and a Research Program. All activities are coordinated by Market Matters, Inc., in collaboration with the Emerging Markets Program at Cornell University, and other seed industry stakeholders.

Fellows Program

Small and medium sized seed companies that serve smallholder farmers in Africa are carefully selected to become members of a Fellows Program. The Fellows program consists of five major capacity building, and networking activities: Workshop Training, Distance Learning, Field Visits, Seed Trading Forum, and Student Attachments.

Business Training

Each year, selected managers from the participating seed companies attend the Making Markets Matter workshop in Stellenbosch, South Africa. In addition to the general agribusiness management training received by all workshop participants, seed industry fellows participate in specialized activities and sessions designed exclusively for the seed industry. Starting in 2006, an additional workshop, exclusive to seed companies has been added.

Distance Learning

Management modules suitable for the seed industry are provided to Fellows based on identified needs. Fellows are kept up-to-date with new developments in the global, regional and domestic seed industry through an email list serve.

Field Visits

Fellows are awarded travel grants to allow them to visit successful seed companies in a country of their choice to learn about relevant aspects of seed production and marketing and to explore business opportunities.

Seed Trading Forum

Every year between harvest and the next planting season, SODP brings together managers from participating companies to network and explore opportunities for seed trading and other collaborative initiatives.

Student Attachments

As part of its capacity building effort, SODP, in collaboration with the Emerging Market Program, facilitates attachments for university students to address specific management and marketing challenges facing Fellow companies. See the following link for a news report on a recent field study course: Cornell students take winter break and provide ‘thousands of dollars’ of advice and help to Tanzanian seed companies.

Research Program

The ongoing Research Program conducts and coordinates market analysis of local seed industries in the selected Eastern and Southern African countries. Much of the research focuses on the seed industry’s organizational structure, the participants conduct and the resultant economic performance. Research findings are useful in guiding market and growth strategies for private companies, and in designing seed industry policies and regulations by governments. Case studies of specific seed companies are also being documented and used in workshop training, the distance learning program and for instruction in tertiary institutions. The research activities are coordinated by a Research Associate in the Emerging Markets Program at Cornell University.

SODP Fellows

The guiding theory of change behind SODP is that initiatives aimed at boosting the performance of small-to-medium sized seed companies will ultimately improve the socio-economic conditions of the rural poor people they serve. It is important to emphasize that the final beneficiaries of the SODP initiative are smallholder farmers in Africa. Companies are carefully selected for the Fellows program based on their commitment to serve smallholder farmers and high growth potential. Seed companies listed in the table below currently participate in SODP’s Fellows Program.

Country	Company Name	Managing Director	Joined SODP
Kampala, Uganda	FICA Seeds	Mr. Chris Kaijuka	2003
Kampala, Uganda	Victoria Seeds	Ms. Josephine Okot	2003
Kampala, Uganda	Harvest Farm Seeds	Dr. Mukiri wa Githendu	2005
Hoima, Uganda	Nalweyo Seed Company – NASECO Ltd	Mr. Nikolai Rodeyns	2006
Nairobi, Kenya	Freshco Seeds Ltd.	Mr. James K. Gichanga	2003
Kitale, Kenya	Western Seeds	Mr. Saleem Esmail	2003
Nakuru, Kenya	Faida Seeds	Mr. Kahenya Njihia	2006
Nakuru, Kenya	Leldet Ltd.	Ms. Janey Leakey	2008
Machakos, Kenya	Dryland Seeds Limited	Mr. Ngila Kimotho	2008
Arusha, Tanzania	Zanobia Seeds	Mr. Rajinder Mand	2003
Njombe, Tanzania	Tanseed International	Mr. Isaka Mashauri	2005
Arusha, Tanzania	Subra Agro Trading	Mr. Mahenye Muya	2003
Mbeya, Tanzania	Highland Seed Growers	Mr. Justine Mwiga	2006
Bamako, Mali	Faso Kaba	Ms. Maimouna Coulibaly	2008
Blantyre, Malawi	Seed–Tech	Mr. Frank Samidu	2006
Blantyre, Malawi	Funwe Farm Ltd.	Mr. Jon Lane	2006
Harare, Zimbabwe	Pristine Seeds	Mr John Makoni	2003
Harare, Zimbabwe	Agri Seeds and Services	Mr. Walter Chigodora	2006
Lusaka, Zambia	Hygrotech	Mr. Chola Kimaki	2006
Ruwa, Zimbabwe	Tropical Seeds	Mr. Vincent Gwarazimba	2005
Lusaka, Zambia	Hygrotech	Mr. Rene Lourens	2006
Lusaka, Zambia	MRI Seeds	Mr. Vladimir Ristanovic	2003
Lusaka, Zambia	Kamano Seeds	Mr. Dis Horemans	2005
Zambia & Zimbabwe	Progene Seeds	Mr. Andrew Henderson	2006
Chimoio, Mozambique	Qualita	Mr. Bernhard Van Dyk	2005
Chimoio, Mozambique	Semente Perfeita	Mr. David Mariote	2006