GeoPoll and Resourced are pleased to release a new multi-year study that sheds light on how farmers in Kenya and Uganda discover, evaluate, and adopt improved maize and bean varieties. Conducted under the Seed Marketing Insights & Adoption (SMIA) program, this research provides one of the most comprehensive demand-side perspectives on seed decision-making in East Africa, at a time when resilient, high-performing seed is more essential than ever for food security and agricultural economics.
Covering three waves of data collection from the 2023 baseline to the 2025 endline, the study tracks the evolution of farmer behavior across awareness, variety switching, preferred traits, purchasing barriers, marketing sources, and brand engagement. The findings show a changing landscape, where digital channels are rising, traditional networks are shifting, and farmers are becoming more informed and intentional in their seed choices.
What the Report Covers
This new report provides a comprehensive picture of how farmers make seed decisions across Kenya and Uganda. It explores the full journey — from awareness and trust, to variety switching, purchasing behavior, marketing channels, and engagement preferences. The analysis covers:
Seed sources and access pathways: How farmers obtain maize and bean seed, and how sourcing patterns have evolved across the three waves.
Barriers to purchasing improved seed: Financial, trust-related, and availability challenges that affect adoption.
Net Promoter Scores (Recommend and Knowledge): How farmers perceive the varieties they use — and how well they can recall specific brands or names.
Variety switching behavior: Who switches, why they switch, why they don’t, and how frequently switching occurs.
Preferred traits and performance priorities: What farmers value most, from yield and drought tolerance to maturity and vigor.
Marketing and information channels: Which platforms and communication channels influence farmers, including the rise of digital marketing and the stable importance of radio.
Social media usage and engagement preferences
How farmers use Facebook, WhatsApp, and other platforms, and which channels they prefer for interacting with seed companies.
Most preferred ways to engage with seed companies
How farmers want companies to communicate with them, from training events and demos to digital channels.
These sections together provide a complete, accessible, and actionable picture of how the seed market is evolving from the farmer’s perspective.
Download the Full Report
The full report provides analysis, demographic profiles, cross-country comparisons, and recommendations for building trust, driving adoption, and strengthening marketing strategies.
Interactive Dashboard
To complement the report, dig into this dynamic, interactive dashboard where you can explore trends by crop, country, age group, gender, and other demographics.
Contact Us
For more information about this project, get clarifications on any section in the data, or to learn more about our capabilities, please feel free to contact GeoPoll.
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