Cassava Seed System Toolkit: Capacity Building Strategies

From Knowledge to Yield — Empowering Cassava Seed Systems.

Building Capacity is a practical, strategy-driven toolkit designed to strengthen cassava seed systems by addressing the core capacity gaps faced by seed producers. It offers tailored training resources, business development tools, and partnership frameworks to improve technical skills, market access, and regulatory collaboration. By equipping actors with the right knowledge and support, Building Capacity enhances seed quality, boosts productivity, and promotes a sustainable, profitable future for cassava and other vegetatively propagated crops.

This technology is pre-validated.

9•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 9/9; level of use 8/9

28,800 USD

Capacity building for 1,350 farmers

3,000 USD

Training manual development

3,000 USD

Training Venue and other facilities

10,000 USD

Facilitators Expense

10,800 USD

Cost of printing the training materials

IP

Unknown

Problem

Limited Technical Skills in Seed Production
Many cassava seed producers lack the necessary agronomic knowledge and technical skills to produce high-quality, certified seeds. This affects seed quality, yields, and farmer trust.
Weak Business and Financial Management Capacity
Seed producers often struggle to manage their operations profitably. They lack training in business planning, financial literacy, and market strategies, making it hard to scale or sustain their businesses.
Poor Access to Markets
Many producers face challenges in identifying and reaching customers. They are not well-connected to market networks and lack strategies to promote and sell their seeds effectively.
Limited Collaboration with Regulatory Agencies
Weak links with seed authorities and a poor understanding of certification processes hinder producers from getting their seeds verified and approved, which limits market acceptance.
Lack of Customized Training Programs
Most training opportunities are generic and do not address the specific capacity gaps of different types of seed producers. There is a need for targeted, practical training based on real assessments.
Insufficient Financial and Investment Tools
Producers have limited access to finance and struggle with budgeting, cost recovery, and investment planning. This keeps their operations small and vulnerable to shocks.
Absence of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems
There is no structured way to track the impact of training or improvements over time. Without clear metrics and feedback loops, it's hard to measure success or identify areas that need further support.

Solution

Tailored Training: Delivers custom training to improve seed producers' technical skills based on their actual needs.
Business Support: Equips producers with tools to manage their seed businesses better and increase profitability.
Improved Market Access: Helps producers understand market demand and reach more customers.
Regulatory Collaboration: Strengthens links with seed regulators to ensure compliance and improve certification.
Hands-On Demonstrations: Uses demo fields for practical learning and better application of seed production techniques.
Needs Assessment Tools: Provides methods to analyze capacity gaps and target training effectively.
Monitoring & Evaluation: Tracks progress and impact through clear indicators to guide future improvements.

Key points to design your business plan

The Building Capacity toolkit offers a clear path for strengthening cassava seed systems, helping seed producers improve operations and increase profitability through targeted capacity building.

To implement the Building Capacity toolkit effectively, seed producers can follow these steps:

Assess Capacity Needs: Profile seed producers to understand their business models, skills gaps, and operational needs. This helps tailor the training and support provided.
Develop a Training Program: Design a training curriculum that addresses technical, business, and regulatory knowledge, aligning with the needs assessment.
Build Partnerships: Collaborate with key stakeholders such as research institutions and seed regulatory agencies to ensure training is aligned with industry standards.
Hands-on Learning: Provide practical demonstrations and on-farm trials to equip producers with real-world knowledge and experience.
Monitor Progress: Establish metrics to track the effectiveness of the capacity-building efforts, ensuring continuous improvement and sustained success.
Ongoing Support: Train local trainers to provide continuous support and ensure the sustainability of the initiative.

By using the Building Capacity toolkit, seed producers can enhance seed quality, improve productivity, and build a sustainable and profitable seed system for cassava.

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive high

Under 18: Positive medium

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Much less carbon released

Environmental health: Does not improve environmental health

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Water use: Same amount of water used

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Ghana	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 1: no poverty

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

Identify Seed Producers
Start by mapping who the seed producers are—by location, scale, and type of cassava or other vegetatively propagated crops they grow.
Conduct a Needs Assessment
Interview and assess producers to understand their skill gaps in technical areas, business development, and regulatory compliance.
Develop a Customized Training Plan
Based on the assessment, create a training program tailored to each producer group’s needs, using ready-to-go training materials provided in the toolkit.
Organize Trainings and Field Demonstrations
Deliver practical, hands-on training sessions—both classroom-style and on demonstration farms—covering seed production, quality assurance, and marketing.
Link with Partners and Experts
Engage with seed regulatory bodies, research institutions, and extension services to provide expert input and ensure training follows official guidelines.
Monitor Progress and Results
Use simple tracking tools and learning indicators from the toolkit to measure skill improvements, seed quality upgrades, and market performance over time.