Effects of Production and Distribution Factors on Improved Seed Systems in Nigeria: Implications for Scaling Climate Resilient Production and Food Systems

This study examines the effects of production and distribution factors on improved seed systems in Nigeria and their implications for scaling climate resilient production and food systems, because production and distribution factors of improved seed and planting materials are major determinants of food and livelihood security. In this study, the interactions among these factors were examined using secondary data from the National Seed Council of Nigeria over 12 years. The variables covered are the number of seed companies, agro-dealers, quantity of foundation, certified breeder, and price of hybrid and open-pollinated seeds of maize, rice, sorghum, millet, wheat, cowpea, soybean, and groundnut. Principal component analysis extracted six components underlying seed production and distribution as Factor 1 (non-hybrid), Factor 2 (certification), Factor 3 (foundation), Factor 4 (prices), and Factor 5 (distribution), which accounted for a cumulative 89.51% variance. The correlation matrix shows that the quantity of certified open-pollinated maize seed is the most highly correlated variable, followed by certified lowland rice seed varieties, price of open-pollinated maize seed, and price of rice seeds. The findings on the production and distribution factors for improved seed imply that farmers will have low adaptive capacity in the use of climate resilient production and food systems.