Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System, Phase 2 (BASICS-II)

BASICS-II
Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System, Phase 2

Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System, Phase 2 (BASICS-II)

The success of the BASICS project led to provision of additional grant to IITA to lead a phase 2 of the project named The Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System, Phase 2 (BASICS-II). BASICS-II is a combination of BASICS project in Nigeria and BEST Cassava project in Tanzania. The project comprises of six components namely Integrated Breeding & Seed System Activities; Early Generation Seed Enterprises; Commercial Seed Entrepreneurs; Processor-Associated Seed System Model; Quality Control & Disease Management; and Catalyze Scaling & Replication through partners. CRS leads the implementation of component 3 (Commercial Seed Entrepreneurs) in Nigeria while NRCRI is co-lead. The component is operational in Benue, Kogi, Abia, Akwa Ibom and Imo States with possibility of extension to other states.

The goal of BASICS-II is to provide farmers with access to affordable, quality-assured seeds of the cassava varieties in demand by local food and processor markets through the establishment of a commercially viable seed value chain operating across breeder, foundation, and commercial seed levels. This value chain will enable more efficient dissemination and adoption of new varieties to improve productivity, raise incomes of cassava growers and seed entrepreneurs, enhance gender equity, and contribute to inclusive agricultural transformation in Nigeria and Tanzania.

Activities of CRS in Benue and Kogi State and NRCRI in Abia, Akwa Ibom and Imo States are targeted to at least double the number of decentralized, commercially viable seed enterprises (cassava seed entrepreneurs) while they increase in average size and aggregate into associations to facilitate early generation seed procurement, marketing, quality control, and other services.