Smallholder farmers’ willingness to pay for multi-stress tolerant varieties: evidence from experimental auctions in Southern Africa

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Several biotic and abiotic factors constrain progress in African agriculture. We assess the prevalence of and farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for varieties tolerant to fall army worm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) in maize (Zea mays), rust disease in Soybean (Glycine max) and rosette disease in groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea) using experimental auctions. Pest/disease incidences varied across the three countries during the 2022/2023 season (46% - 75% for FAW; 2% – 40% for rust in soybean; 13 – 41% for groundnut rosette disease). Awareness of the existence of tolerant/resistant varieties lags at 7 – 42% for FAW, 4 – 34% for rust tolerant soybean and 3 – 39% for groundnut varieties resistant to rosette. Farmers were willing to pay US $3.3/kg, US $2.5/kg and US $2.3/kg for rust tolerant soybean, rosette tolerant groundnut seed and FAW-tolerant maize seeds, respectively, in Zambia. In Malawi, average WTP was US $1.7/kg , US $1.6/kg and US $1.4/kg for FAW-tolerant maize, rosette tolerant groundnut and rust disease tolerant soybean seeds, respectively. In Tanzania, WTP ranged from US $1.66/kg for rosette tolerant groundnut seed and US $1.50 for rust tolerant soybean seed. We discuss the need and how to close knowledge gaps, address gender disparities, and strengthen seed systems.