The ISSD project in Uganda was a 5 million Euro initiative implemented from 2012-2016 to improve the availability and use of high-quality seed by agricultural producers in Uganda. The Dutch Government through the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Kampala (EKN) provided the grant to contribute to the realisation of the Ugandan Agri-Food ambitions. The project piloted the Quality Declared Seed (QDS) system through the Local Seed Business (LSB) methodology as introduced by Wageningen University and Research Centre for Development Innovation (WCDI). Its vision was to create a vibrant, pluralistic and market-oriented seed sector in Uganda. The geographic operational focus was on the West-Nile, Northern and South-Western zones of Uganda.
The ISSD project was initiated to contribute to the transition of farming in Uganda from predominantly subsistence farming, to commercial smallholder farming. Commercial smallholder farmers aim to maximise returns on land and labour. The transition is needed to guarantee the food security of Uganda’s growing population, and to take advantage of the growing domestic and regional market for food crops. The basic input for agricultural intensification is quality seed of market-desired varieties. Seed of reliable quality is poorly available in Uganda, is sparsely used and as a result, less than 15% of cultivated land is planted with quality seed. Certified seed is only available and used at a significant scale for maize.
Planting by Mukirwa LSB
The poor availability of quality seed is hampering market farming. By structurally improving the availability and use of affordable high quality seed of marketable food crops, an important and lasting contribution can be made to the agricultural economy and national food security.
The ISSD project set out to structurally, economically and sustainably improve the functioning of the seed sector in Uganda. The project committed to realise within its timeframe an increase in the crop productivity and income of a minimum of 100,000 households through the use of quality seed.
Link to the End of Project Report
