Empowering Smallholder Sorghum Farmers for Resilience: Lessons from a Community-Based Seed Multiplication Scheme in West Hararghe, Ethiopia

Sorghum is a vital crop for food security in Ethiopia. Sorghum landraces are particularly crucial in crop-livestock mixed farming, however, the extended growing periods (6-8 months) required for these landraces make the crop vulnerable to recurrent drought events associated with delayed rain, dry spells, and drought during critical stages. The landraces are usually planted in March or April depending on the onset of rainfall and harvested around November but often fail due to drought. In such situations, early-maturing improved varieties are an option for farmers but access to seeds of these improved varieties is a challenge. Unlike the landraces, the improved early maturing varieties are planted around the first weeks of July and harvested in November. The formal seed system multiplies only a limited amount of improved sorghum seed, which is rarely available to smallholder sorghum growers, mostly as part of a government package for targeted programs. Therefore, a community-based seed multiplication (CBSM) scheme was introduced to address seed shortages among smallholder sorghum farmers. After a successful experiment in 2015 aimed at enhancing seed multiplication by smallholder sorghum farmers, the process was further implemented on a larger scale using the CBSM scheme. Between 2016 and 2017, three CBSM farmer groups consisting of a total of 56 participants were established in three districts of West Hararghe, Ethiopia. Seeds of two early-maturing and drought-tolerant improved sorghum varieties (Dekeba and Melkam) were multiplied on a total area of 49.58 hectares, resulting in 215.6 tons of certified seeds. The study's findings indicate that the CBSM scheme enhanced smallholder farmers' sorghum yields, incomes, and climate resilience by providing high-quality seeds, expanding access to improved seeds, improving crop quality, and empowering communities to manage seed distribution. Partnerships with local organizations and government agencies were vital for success, allowing the scheme to reach more farmers in different regions. The scheme proved successful for smallholder sorghum growers in Ethiopia's dry lowlands, offering lessons applicable to similar challenges elsewhere, and promoting sustainable solutions for smallholder farmers.