Starke Ayres

Breeding activities in index countries and breeding programme for specific traits
Starke Ayres has its own breeding programme in South Africa and develops improved varieties of global vegetable crops with a number of traits that are particularly important for smallholder farmers. This includes resistance and tolerance to biotic stress, as well as developing early maturing and drought tolerant varieties. The company also focuses on incorporating resistance and tolerance to regionally important pests and diseases such as tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV).

Extension services
Starke Ayres provides extension services in person and through digital tools in Kenya and South Africa. Furthermore, the company has partnered with Food and Trees for Africa, a non-profit organisation, to provide support to smallholder farmers through technical advice and training. However, the company has an opportunity to track the number of smallholder farmers reached in the region.

Information and communications technology (ICT)
Starke Ayres has established digital solutions to enable knowledge-sharing and agronomic support for smallholder farmers. For example, the company established WhatsApp group chats for each respective crop grown by smallholder farmers. Through these groups, Starke Ayres’ agronomists and field assistants offer advice on farming practices. Starke Ayres has an opportunity to specify whether it provides information on seed prices and weather related-alerts through these tools.

Stakeholder engagement
Starke Ayres undertakes stakeholder engagement activities with organizations including the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) and the International Seed Federation (ISF), However, the company could disclose an overview of issues raised through these activities as well as how it identifies its most relevant stakeholders.

The company provides limited insight into its position and activities related to genetic resources and intellectual property management. As it is important that seed companies contribute to genetic resources and intellectual property management that supports smallholder agriculture, the company could provide more insights into its activities for others to learn from.

Local participation in breeding/variety development and variety testing
The company could disclose how it informs its breeding programme with feedback from local consumers, traders and smallholder farmers, including women farmers. The company could also disclose more information on its variety testing activities in the index region, including in which countries testing takes place.

Seed production activities in index region
Starke Ayres has seed production locations in South Africa. However, the company has an opportunity to extend seed production to other countries in the region and disclose whether it involves local players such as smallholder farmers in seed production activities.

Quality management in seed production
The company has an International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) accredited quality assurance laboratory. The company specifies that its laboratories carry out testing in accordance with the ISTA rules and operate an effective quality management system. However, Starke Ayres has an opportunity to specify what percentage of its seed production is covered by this externally certified quality management system.

Social and labour rights in seed production
The company does not disclose a policy committing to prohibit child and forced labour nor does it disclose a commitment to respect the health and safety of workers, either when seed production is carried out by the company itself or through an intermediary. Furthermore, the company does not disclose whether it pays its workers a living wage or requires its intermediaries to do so.

Quality and safety of varieties
The company’s laboratory has received ISTA accreditation. However, the company can disclose information on its protocols for variety introduction when launching new varieties in index countries.

Diverse portfolio
While the company has four or more varieties for the majority of crops in its portfolio in South Africa, it can disclose the number of varieties offered per crop in other index countries where it has sales.

Programmes for women farmers and next-generation farmers
The company provides extension services in the region but can expand its programmes to target women and next-generation farmers.

Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Eggplant
Green bean
Lettuce
Melon
Onion
Pepper (hot)
Pepper (sweet)
Pumpkin
Squash
Tomato
Watermelon

Download the portfolios of all companies in the 2021 index for Eastern and Southern Africa here.