Assessment of the effectiveness of maize seed assistance to vulnerable farm households in Zimbabwe
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The publication describes outcomes of a study to assess the effectiveness of a large-scale crop seed relief
effort in Zimbabwe during 2003-07. Aims of the effort, which was supported by the British Department for
International Development (DfID) and coordinated by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) regional office
in Harare, included broader diffusion of open-pollinated maize varieties (OPVs), as opposed to hybrids. Based on
the findings of the study, the authors recommend that, to increase benefits to vulnerable groups, participants in such efforts should effectively disseminate information on selecting and recycling seed, supported by training and field demonstrations, and should target relatively well-endowed farmers initially. Recommendations also included
promotion of OPVs by commercial seed companies and developing a simple, farmer-friendly system for naming
varieties.