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West African seed players have called for the expansion of the seed demand forecasting tool. This will enable seed companies to better organize their production activities and deliver quality seed to growers.

Not only does insufficient knowledge lead to a significant carryover of seed stock, but companies are unable to plan adequately due to a lack of hard data on actual demand.

To avoid deficits and stabilize the prices and profits of West African seed companies, it is above all necessary to have an appropriate and effective tool for forecasting demand for seeds, according to the experts who recently met in Senegal.

Over the past decade, players in the West African seed trade have explored digital tools, improved policies and enhanced collaboration as ways of speeding up farmers' access to quality seed.

The latest gathering on this issue was held in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, on April 09, 2019. The meeting was organized by the Partnership for Agricultural Research, Education and Development (PAIRED), a new five-year program funded by USAID. PAIRED's main objective is to help West African populations gain access to improved technologies, including quality seeds.

In addition to the seed demand forecasting tool, stakeholders also suggested revamping the electronic seed information platform(www.wasix.net). A computerized online market system designed to facilitate dialogue and information exchange between seed trade players.

With a mandate from the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) is leading this innovative seed delivery scheme. The long-term aim is to sustainably transform the seed industry in West Africa.

The Dakar meeting also made the following recommendations:

•  Calls on States to invest adequately in the implementation of policies of regional interest;
•  Draw on the PAIRED experience to finalize the regional agricultural inputs strategy;
•  Calls on CORAF and PAIRED to work in close collaboration with other institutions working on other agricultural inputs such as pesticides, irrigation, water, mechanization, etc;
•  Calls on CORAF to continue supporting the National Specialization Centers (NSCs) in their transition to Regional Centers of Excellence (RCEs);
•  Encourages the private sector to provide additional resources;
•  Develop a communication and knowledge management strategy
•  Build the capacity of farmers, extension workers, agricultural traders, processors and other key players;
•  Establish a robust monitoring and evaluation system at country level;
•  Promoting private-sector accreditation ;
•  Explore the possibility of providing private entities with resources for seed production and promote collaboration between research institutions and private sector associations;
•  Encourage internal quality control of inputs;
•  Promoting electronic planning of seed production and intellectual property rights issues;
•  Promote the production and marketing of certified maize and cowpea ;
•  Updating the regional catalog and national lists of quarantine pests ;
•  Develop agricultural input packages based on agro-ecological zones;
•  Local mapping of varieties and fertilizers ;
•  Promote the production and sale of seeds adapted to Africa and the organization of seed events (forums, conferences and round tables).