Delivering Climate smart seeds to

smallholder farmers"Ngila Kimotho"

Founder and CEO, Dryland Seeds Ltd dslseeds@yahoo.com | www.drylandseed.com"

""

Learning Event 6: What role can the private sector play in climate smart smallholder agriculture in Africa?"Agriculture and Rural Development Day"

Durban, South Africa"3 December 2011"

"

Introduction and background"•  DSL set up 2004 to exploit KARI seed technologies"•  2007: AGRA seed capital US$150,000 "•  Local and international memberships "•  Collaboration: KARI, CIMMYT, ICRISAT"•  Partnerships in USAID- KHCP: UCCS, BISEP, ATIP, WONI,

KRA, PEN"•  Varieties: Maize, sorghum, beans, cow pea, green grams,

pigeon peas"

Recent progress"•  Funding from USAID-KHCP (3 yr project), ASIF"•  Procured seed processing and lab equipment"•  AGRA grants"•  Staff training"•  Increased production 2007 to 2011"

DSL–AGRA/AECF partnership"•  3 drought tolerant maize varieties; 200 mt certified seed"•  2010: Scaled up maize production from 61mt to 800 mt"•  Trained 1800 small-scale farmers in seed multiplication"•  Registered 800 agrodealers with KEPHIS; trained in

marketing and certified seed handling"•  Public awareness campaigns: demos, field days,

promotional materials"•  DSL capacity building"

Lessons"•  Adequate funding and qualified staff key to success"•  Irrigation essential in ASAL areas"•  Seed merchants should undertake varietal maintenance"•  Work closely with NARs and CGIAR centres "•  Investment in information technology vital"•  Sell through agro-dealers for sustainability and farmer

reach"

Challenges"•  Drought"•  Initial lack of foundation seed"•  Lack of sustainable funding source"•  Lack of processing equipment"•  Inadequate warehousing"•  Lack of irrigation to produce breeder/foundation seed"•  Inability to meet customer demand"

Future plans"•  Submit 4 DT maize hybrids from CIMMYT-Harare to

KEPHIS March 2012"•  Venture into vegetable seed marketing "•  Replicate model in South Sudan"

Drought stressed maize"

KDV 1"

KDV 4  

Field day at Kalamba, Nzaui District

Demo at Kalamba, Nzaui District

KDV 4"

Exhibi'on  

Kola, Makueni District

THANK  YOU!    

ASANTE  SANA!    

NIMUVEA!