Faba bean (Vicia faba L) seed value chain: implications for a sustainable seed supply in Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract This study presents the production performance of faba beans, yield gap, and adoption of improved varieties. Also, it identifies and maps the actors involved in the seed value chain. The paper was based on primary data collected from randomly selected 168 farmers. The result revealed that the adoption rate of improved faba bean seed in the study area at the household level was 23%. It was low mainly due to a lack of access to improved seeds (59.5%) and a lack of awareness about the availability of improved varieties (23%). The average yield of adopters was 13% higher than non-adopters thus reducing the yield gap relative to research fields to 56.6% from 61.6% for non-adopters. They also received an 11% price premium for better seed quality, uniform appearance, and bigger beans of their produce. Farmers’ most important source of planting material was their own saved seed. The formal seed sector supplies only about 2.2% of the seed requirement of faba beans. Hence, own saved seed, community-based seed production, scaling up activities, seed producer and marketing cooperatives and farmer to farmer seed exchange were found to be the main source of a faba bean seed. The study recommends the promotion of improved faba bean varieties, improving access to extension service, strengthening and improving the informal seed system, and linking and integrating all the actors in the chain. The institutional linkage and intensive communication between all stakeholders is also pertinent for technology scaling up and farmers’ easy access to improved seed.