Varietal development and the effectiveness of seed sector policies: The case of rice in Nigeria

Seed is an essential input in agriculture, and the availability of quality seed of superior varieties is often critical for improved food security and poverty reduction in developing countries like Nigeria. However, while the Nigerian government recognizes the importance of improving seed availabili...

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Main Authors: Takeshima, Hiroyuki, Maji, Alhassan
Format: Artículo preliminar
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148593
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author Takeshima, Hiroyuki
Maji, Alhassan
author_browse Maji, Alhassan
Takeshima, Hiroyuki
author_facet Takeshima, Hiroyuki
Maji, Alhassan
author_sort Takeshima, Hiroyuki
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Seed is an essential input in agriculture, and the availability of quality seed of superior varieties is often critical for improved food security and poverty reduction in developing countries like Nigeria. However, while the Nigerian government recognizes the importance of improving seed availability, its recent focus in the seed sector has mostly been on improving seed quality rather than on varietal development. This report argues that this is partly due to a knowledge gap regarding the relationship between varietal technology levels and the effectiveness of seed sector policies. We first provide a brief conceptual discussion on how the effectiveness of selected seed sector policies, such as certification, subsidies, and private sector promotion, may depend on underlying varietal technology levels. Using rice as an example, we then provide key historical and international perspectives on how varietal technology development by the public sector through intensive rice breeding had pre-ceded the expansion of seed certification and testing, and show that there still is a substantial need for the Nigerian government to develop improved rice varieties through intensified domestic plant breeding in order for its seed certification and seed subsidy programs to be more effective.
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spelling CGSpace1485932025-11-06T06:34:58Z Varietal development and the effectiveness of seed sector policies: The case of rice in Nigeria Takeshima, Hiroyuki Maji, Alhassan seed systems seeds genetic resources plant breeding agricultural research rice farm inputs varieties Seed is an essential input in agriculture, and the availability of quality seed of superior varieties is often critical for improved food security and poverty reduction in developing countries like Nigeria. However, while the Nigerian government recognizes the importance of improving seed availability, its recent focus in the seed sector has mostly been on improving seed quality rather than on varietal development. This report argues that this is partly due to a knowledge gap regarding the relationship between varietal technology levels and the effectiveness of seed sector policies. We first provide a brief conceptual discussion on how the effectiveness of selected seed sector policies, such as certification, subsidies, and private sector promotion, may depend on underlying varietal technology levels. Using rice as an example, we then provide key historical and international perspectives on how varietal technology development by the public sector through intensive rice breeding had pre-ceded the expansion of seed certification and testing, and show that there still is a substantial need for the Nigerian government to develop improved rice varieties through intensified domestic plant breeding in order for its seed certification and seed subsidy programs to be more effective. 2016-10-04 2024-06-21T09:25:09Z 2024-06-21T09:25:09Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148593 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Takeshima, Hiroyuki and Maji, Alhassan. 2016. Varietal development and the effectiveness of seed sector policies: The case of rice in Nigeria. NSSP Working Paper 34. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148593
spellingShingle seed systems
seeds
genetic resources
plant breeding
agricultural research
rice
farm inputs
varieties
Takeshima, Hiroyuki
Maji, Alhassan
Varietal development and the effectiveness of seed sector policies: The case of rice in Nigeria
title Varietal development and the effectiveness of seed sector policies: The case of rice in Nigeria
title_full Varietal development and the effectiveness of seed sector policies: The case of rice in Nigeria
title_fullStr Varietal development and the effectiveness of seed sector policies: The case of rice in Nigeria
title_full_unstemmed Varietal development and the effectiveness of seed sector policies: The case of rice in Nigeria
title_short Varietal development and the effectiveness of seed sector policies: The case of rice in Nigeria
title_sort varietal development and the effectiveness of seed sector policies the case of rice in nigeria
topic seed systems
seeds
genetic resources
plant breeding
agricultural research
rice
farm inputs
varieties
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148593
work_keys_str_mv AT takeshimahiroyuki varietaldevelopmentandtheeffectivenessofseedsectorpoliciesthecaseofriceinnigeria
AT majialhassan varietaldevelopmentandtheeffectivenessofseedsectorpoliciesthecaseofriceinnigeria