Farmers in Bwipa, a remote village in the district of Ileje, in the southern Mbeya region of Tanzania, regularly grow maize, bananas, potatoes and upland rice. The maize seed most often planted in this area is a high yielding hybrid type, but is prone to disease and pest attacks. Compared to the local varieties, hybrid maize is less tasty and more expensive. Furthermore, because it is a hybrid, farmers need to buy new seed every year, or yields drop drastically. This general situation became even more complicated in 2003, when the seeds were not available in sufficient quantities. This led to the formation of a self-help group with the specific objective of ensuring the availability of good quality seeds.
