OVERVIEW OF OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FOR THE MARKETING OF CERTIFIED SEED OF IMPROVED VARIETIES IN BURKINA FASO

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Résumé

Improved variety seeds play an important role in increasing agricultural productivity and production. Unfortunately, one of the major concerns of all those involved in agricultural policy in Burkina Faso is the difficulty of marketing this basic input. This study aims to highlight the opportunities and constraints of marketing certified seed of improved varieties. Semi-structured surveys were conducted among 70 people from three categories of actors: seed producers, seed distributors and food producers, based on random sampling. The results of the surveys revealed the existence of a potential market made up of farmers with areas sown with traditional seeds and a large, little-exploited marketing channel. However, most of the seed produced by seed multipliers and seed companies is purchased by the government and its partners. Marketing difficulties are linked to the high cost of seed, the failure to enforce seed legislation and the low level of professionalism among those involved in marketing. To ensure the sustainability of the sector, marketing actors need to be given more training in marketing, supervision of marketing activities and the setting of selling prices. In addition, strategies such as estimating demand before the start of the crop year would enable seed production to be adapted to the market. In addition, information/awareness-raising and sales of small quantities in the villages could facilitate the sale of these seeds. These results could be used by the structures of the Ministry of Agriculture for better development of the seed sector.

Mots-clés

certified seed, marketing, constraints, opportunities, Burkina Faso.