On the 27^th of May 2019, Benefit-SBN and ISSD Tigray Unit organised a one-day training for 42 individuals including seed experts from woredas, private seed producers and seed producing cooperatives drawn from Kafta-Humera, Tahtay Adiyabo and Wolkaiet.

The objective of the training was to improve the knowledge and skill of producers and experts on quality sesame seed production, financial literacy, seed system and seed business.

During the training seed producers raised the major problem that they are facing in their seed production and business, among others are: producers limited knowledge on the current Ethiopian seed system, seed quality regulatory experts are not visiting the field in the expected time and therefor do not know the reality, weak linkage of actors in the seed value chain, lack of standardized stores, having very fragmented land for seed production, no system of rewarding or premium value for quality seed producers and absence of machinery and other inputs.

Professionals from the projects tried to provide some advice on the issues raised and they informed participants that the projects will technically support to fill the knowledge and skill gaps of producers.

Participants call for the authorities and relevant stakeholders to come to the sesame production areas and see the realities of the seed system at the field.