The Social Sciences Working Paper Series is intended to advance social science knowledge about production and utilization of potato, sweetpotato, and root and tuber crops in developing countries to encourage debate and exchange of ideas. The views expressed in the papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the International Potato Center. Comments are invited.

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Potato yields of small-scale farmers in the region fall far short of their potential, mostly due to a potent combination of inadequate supplies of high quality seed and limited awareness of better seed and crop management practices. Consequently, potato yields in sub-Saharan Africa are dismally low at 6-10 t/ha. To increase the availability of high-grade potato seed, the International Potato Center and its national partners have developed components of an innovative seed strategy, the '3 seed potato generation revolution' (3G - a seed production model), which drastically lowers the cost of production of pre-basic or 'starter' seed coupled with extension-based interventions to train smallholders to better manage their own seed on farm. Using rapid multiplication techniques (RMT), such as aeroponics or sandponics, to produce minitubers from in vitro plantlets, seed can be bulked in two subsequent field generations to the same quantities that under conventional practices require four to six generations. This reduces the cost of production and prevents build-up of damaging diseases in the field. Greater involvement by the private sector in seed potato value chains offers a means to overcome the supply bottleneck that is limiting the provision of quality seed. A more efficient and responsive seed system will improve production, distribution, use and profitability for farmers. Promising RMT and an engaged private sector can provide needed capacity to broaden adoption of quality seed and accelerate availability of new varieties with greater prospect of added value. Better integration of national agricultural research and extension systems into the value chain, as well as farmer training schemes in seed management and storage, can accelerate innovation. A regional perspective can help exploit economies of scale for sharing knowledge and technology, implement creative applications of information communication technologies, advocate for farmer-friendly, seed-related regulations and policies, improve the business-enabling environment, and expand intra-regional trade for seed of the highest categories. Recent and ongoing interventions reveal that wide-scale adoption of these technologies, as well as improving capacities to maximize their investment in quality seed, will enable farmers to secure seed supplies and to put the entire seed supply chain onto a more sustainable path for the future. This chapter gives an overview and comparative analysis of costs and benefits from experiences from seed interventions from Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Uganda over the past 5 years.