Agriculture is a core driver of Ethiopia’s economy, supporting 85 percent of the population’s livelihoods and accounting for 46 percent of gross domestic product and 80 percent of export value. Given the significant current and future role of the agricultural sector, a vibrant seed system that provides quality seed to meet the demands of farmers is an essential enabler to continued economic and social development of Ethiopia.

This report presents an analysis of Ethiopia’s formal seed system and identifies possible interventions to improve the efficiency of seed provision. The report only deals with seed for major staples, separating issues for “hybrids” (such as hybrid maize), which farmers purchase each year, and non-hybrid seed (accounting for the majority of Ethiopia’s staples), which farmers can save for several seasons.