Ethiopia's Potato Seed System: Regulatory Challenges, Quality Assurance Issues, and Pathways for Improvement ─ A mini review

Seed system in Ethiopia

The distribution of seeds of improved varieties for farming communities started from the 1950s informally mainly with the establishment of some academic, research and development institutes in Ethiopia. Progressively, the formal seed sector began in the 1970s through several organizational and structural changes and made steady improvement across the seed system (Alemu et al., 2023). Ethiopia has a pluralistic seed system for crops like potato comprising formal, alternative and informal schemes though scholars put different views on seed system categorization (Haug et al., 2023; Mulesa et al., 2021; Hirpa et al., 2010). The contribution of informal seed system to planting stock in Ethiopia may be 98.3% with the remaining 1.3% from alternative and the formal sources contributing a very insignificant fraction (Schulz et al., 2013). Thus, almost all potato farmers in Ethiopia use own-saved seed tubers and seed from their social networks due to various reasons (Tadesse et al., 2019). As a developing country that lacks a well-functioning seed certification system, Ethiopia adopted the quality declared seed (QDS) for many economically important crops including potato (Tessema et al., 2023a). QDS, a class below certified seed is guided by standards that are less rigorous but recognized by the regulatory bodies than ordinary seed is permitted in the Ethiopian seed potato system (Schulz et al., 2013; Tessema et al., 2023a,b). The management and handling of these different seed systems are quite distinct in terms of seed quality, resource utilization, knowledge of seed operating personnel, seed quality assurance/control mechanisms and proscription by law (Hirpa et al., 2010; Gowda et al., 2017). Furthermore, the productivity of the crop from each seed system/category has considerable difference, for example in Ethiopia; a yield penalty of 35% was reported for some field crops in each hectare when farmers used informal/local seed as their planting material (Tarekegn and Mogiso, 2020). Thus, sowing/planting quality seed as a source material has considerable yield advantages (Harahagazwe et al., 2018; Gaur et al., 2020). Furthermore, The primary aim of functional seed systems is to guarantee that seeds are accessible and available to all users, especially smallholder farmers providing an adequate quantity, quality, and variety of seeds to enable sustainable food production and consumption (Etten et al., 2017). However, in Ethiopia, there is no well delineated seed system that fulfill the required role delegations along the seed value chain of many crops especially VPCs.

The decentralized seed potato system in Ethiopia involves individual farmers, seed grower cooperatives and private seed multipliers at different level of economic, social and agro-ecological settings (Tadesse et al., 2020; Tessema et al., 2023a; Sulle et al., 2022). However, public seed enterprises are less likely to engage in the potato seed business in the country (Getnet et al., 2023) and there are no well-organized seed growers except local seed multipliers.

The potato seed system is constrained by tremendous social, economic and biological factors with limited quality assurance capacity (Tafesse et al., 2020). Most visible, the decentralized seed system has poor monitoring and administration capacity in farmers cooperatives and weak coordination among the seed regulatory authority (Sulle et al., 2022; Tadesse et al., 2020). The sub-sector is characterized by poor performance, low stakeholder collaboration, weak coordination and inefficient service provision in terms of quality seed production and certification (Getnet et al. 2023; Tessema et al., 2023b). The mechanisms of applying seed laws, operating procedures and quality standards depends on availability of infrastructure, trained human resources managing the seed system and other interrelated aspects (Misra et al., 2023). Generally, the seed system in Ethiopia is still at its infant stage to perform key functions of seed systems viz., production and distribution, innovation and regulation along the seed value chain that ultimately affects sustainable potato production and supply (Tessema et al., 2023a; Hirpa et al., 2010; Etten et al., 2017). This is because the seed sector directly influences three dimensions of food security and nutrition namely; food availability, access and affordability (Etten et al., 2017).

Overview of seed regulatory structure in Ethiopia

The seed sector in Ethiopia was coordinated by various state ministers under the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). Linked to the federal government, the seed quality assurance is cascaded from Federal to Regional regulatory Authorities (Nigussie et al., 2020). Since 2021, the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority (EAA) under the MoA was established to coordinate all regulatory aspects of the seed sector in Ethiopia Seed Proclamation No. 1262/2021 (Alemu et al., 2023). Functionally, the seed regulatory laboratories are located at zonal level under the regional agricultural inputs regulatory authority (Figure 1). Seed regulatory laboratories work mostly on seed of cereal and grain crops and rarely on VPCs that require more advanced pathogen testing facilities and skilled human resource that are currently in short supply in the country (Tessema et al., 2023a). Seed regulatory laboratories in Ethiopia are essential for testing and certifying seed quality, yet they face significant challenges such as inadequate funding and outdated equipment with limited trained man power (Tessema et al., 2023b).

Figure 1. Organizational diagram of seed regulatory authority and their respective roles in Ethiopia.

The vulnerability of potato to seed-borne diseases and pests requires a strong, efficient and customized regulatory mechanism (Getnet et al., 2023). The seed regulatory laboratories have a plethora of problems including coordination and capacity bottlenecks to undertake the potato seed quality assurance within the standards set by national or international authorities to achieve the seed sector transformation goal in Ethiopia comparable to cereals and legumes (Alemu et al., 2023; Nigussie et al., 2020).

Seed quality assurance and certification standards

Seed quality is a complex trait that involve a combination of plant genetics, seed technology, seed health and molecular biology. It is one of the basic requirements of effective seed industry (Misra et al., 2023). Some of the classical methods of seed improvement include coating, pelleting, priming, and production of artificial seed (Wimalasekera, 2015). The seed of VPCs, unlike cereals and pulses are very prone to latent infection by seed and soil borne pathogens such as Ralstonia solanacearum and viruses (Bentley et al., 2018; Tessema et al., 2022).

Seed certification is the process to ensure that the genetic identity and purity of a plant variety are maintained during seed multiplication.

The seed certification schemes rely on standards and procedures implemented at each step of the seed production process. Seeds for sale with a label of “Certified seed”, means that the seed complies with the national quality standards prescribed for certification. Under the seed law, the government seed authority is responsible for the process of seed certification where government carries out the task for seed certification (Misra et al., 2023). However, in Ethiopia the seed standards set by the national seed regulatory authority are poorly implemented by the seed laboratories (Tessema et al., 2023a; Nigussie et al., 2020) resulting in farmers planting disease-infected, low quality seed potato. The most detrimental effect of seed-borne pathogens such as potato bacterial wilt (BW) besides affecting immediate yield is the contamination of previously disease-free areas and the spread of new diseases (Tessema et al., 2023a, b; Singh and Rathaur, 2020).

Without an active seed certification program, the quality of seed tubers is upheld by staff from research organizations and seed potato projects, who work together to maintain minimum quality standards (Schulz et al., 2013: Getnet et al., 2023). However, as the demand for quality seed increases, this system is starting to hit its production limits. Additionally, its reliance on project interventions makes it unsustainable. Therefore, alternative mechanisms at regional or local levels should be developed, tested, and promoted to ensure that producers of planting materials meet minimum quality standards at smallholders setting. To withstand the seed demand, quality declared seed (QDS) is introduced to the potato seed system that uses slight quality assurance mechanisms (Tessema et al., 2023a). The QDS system somehow reduces the burden of the seed sector by allowing a 10% external seed inspection by the regulatory body, where as 90% seed quality control is left to the producers ( Figure 2) (Tessema et al., 2023a). Scholars also recommend various seed regulatory options tailored to the specific circumstances of each region or country, although these recommendations are often poorly implemented (Gatto et al., 2021).

Figure 2. Seed potato inspection and quality assurance practices in Ethiopia.

Seed regulatory challenges and paths for improvement

Regulatory challenges related to seed of vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs) largely center on varietal identification, certification, and disease control. In contrast to seed-propagated crops, which have clear genetic profiles, VPCs often show considerable variability, making it difficult to establish distinct and consistent varieties (Gatto et al., 2021). This ambiguity creates hurdles for regulatory agencies responsible for enforcing plant breeding and protection standards (McEwan et al., 2021; Louwaars et al., 2013) ( Table 1). Moreover, the certification of propagation materials like cuttings and tubers requires thorough testing to ensure they are free from diseases and pests, a process that can be complex and resource-intensive (Tessema et al., 2023a; Almekinders et al., 2019).

Additionally, the intellectual property framework for vegetatively propagated crops introduces further regulatory complications (Gatto et al., 2021). Current plant variety protection laws may not sufficiently accommodate the specific traits of these crops, potentially hindering the ability to secure patents or protection certificates. Traceability is another critical issue, as it is essential to track the origins and quality of vegetative materials throughout the supply chain to uphold biosecurity and market integrity (Zheng et al., 2023). As nations implement varying regulations for the import and export of these crops, navigating the international regulatory landscape becomes more challenging, highlighting the need for collaboration among stakeholders to establish effective and coherent regulatory systems (McEwan et al., 2021; Gatto et al., 2021).

In Ethiopia, research conducted in collaboration with the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) and the regional Bureaus of Agriculture and Natural Resource Development revealed that six major potato viruses and bacterial wilt are prevalent throughout all levels of the seed system (Sulle e al., 2022; Tessema et al., 2023b, 2024; McEwan et al., 2023). However, an in-depth assessment of seed testing laboratories and seed inspection processes indicated limited resources and capabilities for implementing seed quality assurance.

One of the most significant challenges in potato seed systems is the infiltration of counterfeit or substandard seeds into the supply chain (Hirpa et al., 2010; Sulle et al., 2022). The lack of a robust, digitized, and automated system makes it relatively easy for these fraudulent seeds to enter the market (Tessema personal communication). This not only undermines seed quality but also leads to substantial losses for farmers who unknowingly buy and plant these counterfeit seeds (Tessema et al., 2023a; Sulle et al., 2022). Additionally, the widespread presence of such seeds compromises the integrity of the seed industry and negatively impacts overall crop production and harvest quality (Buddenhagen et al., 2017; Tessema et al., 2024). The absence of digitization and automation in the seed delivery system contributes to seeds’ need for visibility and traceability (Tessema personal communication) ( Figure 2).

This lack of transparency poses risks related to quality, expiry, counterfeiting, and accountability in the seed supply chain since the seed quality is often unobservable through visual inspection by the farmers (McEwan et al., 2021).

Improving seed quality assurance is vital for boosting agricultural productivity and sustainability (Wimalasekera, 2015). Seed potatoes are fundamental to both the quality and yield of potato crops, acting as the first link in the entire potato value chain (Yves and Quere, 2023). Here are some key points to consider for improving seed systems:

Author contribution