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Abstract
This paper reviews the structure and performance of the sorghum and millet seed sector in Mali. The
Sahel is the origin of pearl millet and sorghum, seed selection and management of these crops is
embedded in local cultures, and most producers of these crops are subsistence oriented. Despite seed
sector reform, no certified seed of these crops is sold in local markets and farmers prefer to rely on
themselves or each other for seed. The dominant source of certified seed is the national seed service.
Certified seed is multiplied by contracted farmers and seed producer groups, and supplied to farmers
through farmers’ associations, development organizations, and extension services. The informal sector
supplies farmers with non-certified seed directly and indirectly through village grain markets. There is no
consensus about whether it is lack of effective demand or supply that constrains farmer use of certified
sorghum and millet seed, but researchers generally conclude that the process of certifying seed is too
lengthy, some mechanism must be established for production and trade of locally-adapted landraces, and
Mali’s highly structured farmers’ associations could play an even stronger role in testing and promoting
demand for certified seed. Recommendations have included the use of small packs and seed auctions
where market infrastructure is sparse, and in more commercialized areas, involvement of agro-input
dealers, shopkeepers and traders. Still, estimated adoption rates for improved millet (under 10 percent of
crop area) and sorghum seed (under 20 percent of crop area) could be as high as can be expected in this
challenging natural environment and institutional context.