INTRODUCTION

The increased use of productivity-enhancing technologies, including mechanization, irrigation, fertilizer, and improved seed, are critical to improving food and nutritional security across Africa. For field crops, a competitive formal seed sector is key to ensuring the timely availability of high-quality seed of improved, appropriate varieties at affordable prices for smallholder farmers. Improved seeds can deliver state-of the-art technology to farmers, including higher yields, disease and pest resistance, climate change adaptation, reduced post-harvest losses, and improved nutrition. To facilitate the delivery of these benefits to the farmers, The African Seed Access Index (TASAI) conducts seed industry assessments at the national level and uses the findings to encourage public policymakers and development agencies to create and maintain enabling environments that will accelerate the
development of competitive formal seed systems serving smallholder farmers in Africa.