Abstract:
Bread wheat is a key cereal crop in Ethiopia, playing a crucial role in ensuring food security and
generating income for the country. Regarding production volume and area coverage, Ethiopia is
the second-largest wheat-producing country in Africa. However, average wheat productivity is
low (2.97 t ha⁻¹) compared to international wheat productivity. This may result from different
factors, among which seed insecurity is the most remarkable problem. This study was initiated to
assess the seed system, farmer’s use of certified seed, and storage practices of bread wheat to
enhance grain production in seed insecurity districts of the East Gojjam Zone. This study was
conducted in the Gozamin and Aneded districts of the East Gojjam Zone. The survey was
conducted using 265 sample households based on probability proportion to population size from
four kebeles during 2023/2024 cropping season. A structured questionnaire was used to collect
data from sample households, while a checklist was used to collect qualitative data from 16 key
informants and 4 focus group discussions participants. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze
the study findings using SPSS version 27 software. The findings of this study revealed that farmers
accessed bread wheat seed from different sources, i.e., informal seed sources such as about
(49.3% in Gozamin, 42.7% in Aneded) were farm-saved from the previous cropping seasons,
(15.7% in Gozamin, 16.1% in Aneded) from local markets, (17.9% in gozamin, 15.3% in Aneded)
from relatives, and (17.1% in Gozamin, 25.9% in Aneded) were from formal seed sources.
Therefore, the informal seed source is a major seed source and important in wheat production at
study areas. Yield advantage (37.4%), disease tolerance (40.4), market value (20.7%), and food
quality(1.5) were found to be the most common criteria in making the decision to use improved
bread wheat varieties in the study area. Farmers in the studied areas have good knowledge of
certified bread wheat seed use and practiced saving and storing their own seed for up to one year.
Therefore, Amhara Agricultural Research Institutes, Amhara Seed Enterprises, and agricultural
extension offices at regional, zonal, and district levels should give more attention to establishing a
sustainable seed system, increasing farmers awareness of certified seed use and knowledge of how
to store bread wheat seeds, and providing affordable access to PICS bags to enhance production
and productivity in the study area.