Strategy to ensure secure and sufficient supply of tree propagative material for agroforestry development in Kenya; a paper presented at the first National Agroforestry conference.

Abstract

The principle of provision of High quality tree seed4 in sufficient quantities and on Time to meet the demands of tree planting rings true for both Agroforestry and Plantation forestry. The challenge however to interpret the theme in the case of Agroforestry is rather complex unlike in Plantation forestry. The supply of seed to raise plantations can easily be executed by a formal institution through observance of a strict code of conduct that guarantees quality. For plantations the quantity required, species in question and timing can be worked almost to the exact detail. Moreover, the range of species is narrow and the actual quantities required far less compared to the Agroforestry demand. In the case of Agroforestry seed, the multi-various end uses aimed for and the concomitant diverse ecological environments in which agroforestry is practised demand a wide range of species. Beside the audience to use the seed is large and spread allover the country requiring therefore massive quantity of seed at the grass roots. A formal institutionalised and centralised supply will be over-burdened and over time tire especially if it is caters for both categories of seeds. This paper discusses a strategy and activities for various players that if implemented would secure the supply of Tree Propagative Material (TPM) for good quality and quantity and accessible as close as possible to farmers, the final back stoppers in Agroforestry. The point of departure is towards the Privatisation of seed collection and supply of Agroforestry species. This without compromising the basic requirement that quality of seed in its entirety is the most important issue to safe guard even in Agroforestry. Historical and present conduct of some major stake holders in the field of germplasm provision in Kenya has been analyzed and their strengths and weakness have inspired the bias taken in