Towards an Integrated Market for Seeds and Fertilizers in West Africa Public Disclosure Authorized
93630 Towards an Integrated Market for Seeds and Fertilizers in West Africa Public Disclosure Authorized John C. Keysera, Marjatta Eilittäb, Georges Dimithec, Gbolagade d e Ayoola , and Louis Sène January, 2015 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized a Lead author, World Bank Group; b West Africa trade and fertilizer specialist, lead consultant; c Public Disclosure Authorized institutional development specialist, consultant; d fertilizer and seed trade specialist, consultant; e seed trade specialist, consultant. TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED MARKET FOR SEEDS AND FERTILIZERS IN WEST AFRICA Abstract To improve farmer access to quality seeds and fertilizers, West African governments have been working through ECOWAS and other regional organizations to develop harmonized rules for input trade for many years. After extensive consultations, regional regulations based on advanced international standards have mostly been agreed upon and are already helping to guide quality improvements in some countries. Despite these encouraging signs, most countries do not currently have the physical capacity or institutional structures needed to implement the agreed trade rules which will take considerable time and investment to develop. The analysis, therefore, points to a need for pragmatic solutions that are easy for individual countries or groups of countries to implement in the near term while longer-term progress towards full harmonization continues. Key words Africa, regional trade, crop inputs, harmonization Acknowledgements This working paper is the result of numerous consultations with seed, fertilizer, and regional trade experts in West Africa who generously gave their time for interviews, for sharing data, and for answering questions after the country visits. The complete list of individuals met is too long for this page, but the team would like everyone to know that their time and efforts are greatly appreciated.
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