Efforts to improve seed supply in developing countries have been in progress for approximately 25 years. They have taken place mostly through the medium of development projects which were concerned specifically with seeds or in which seeds were a component among other activities such as research or extension. In the early stages, these projects established the physical facilities for producing good quality seed, notably processing plants, stores and seed testing laboratories. At the same time, they also developed the necessary human resources through staff training at all levels. While projects emphasized capital investment in hardware, they also conferred a certain system of seed supply and regulation (the software) which was based on that found in developed countries with mature seed industries. Experience has shown that in many developing countries this system is too demanding or costly to implement.
展开▼
