From our experiences in other parts of the world, we know that adapted plant varieties are an absolute necessity for developing the African horticultural and agricultural sector. Furthermore, a higher productivity of adapted plant varieties will increase rural income.

In Tropical Asia, local plant breeding companies such as East-West Seeds have initiated a highly successful market-oriented production of vegetable crops. However, mainly since the current African vegetable seed market is small and seed prices are low, there have so far been very few attempts to provide African vegetable growers with high-quality seeds of locally adapted varieties.

Plant breeding is a long-term process that demands a high level of commitment and expertise. It is important to realise that high-quality seeds of suitable plant varieties form the basis for the entire food industry, and that the development costs of such varieties are relatively low when compared to the value of the end products. In view of this, Rijk Zwaan and East-West have taken the initiative and begun a market-oriented vegetable-crop breeding programme for Africa which has the potential to make a significant contribution to farmer productivity and the overall rural economy in Africa.