Under The Hammer: How Auctions Show Farmer Interest in Disease-Free Seed

In the midst of an industry-wide disease threat to cassava, researchers from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT have found that farmers in Laos and Cambodia are willing to pay higher prices for disease-free, high-yielding seeds.

Cassava is a key starchy crop in Laos (where it is known as “Man Ton“), making up $345 million in exports in 2022, the country’s top agricultural export. But cassava mosaic disease has had a considerable impact on farmer livelihoods since its arrival in a single field in Cambodia in 2015 and has since spread to over 60 provinces in at least five countries in the region. Cassava mosaic disease has started to spread in Laos, and farmers could lose 30-50% of their income; there have already been some declines in productivity at national levels.