Count of breeders by crop or sector (e.g., cereals, pulses) and gender. "Active breeder" is defined as one who is currently engaged in breeding/maintaining of a variety. Information is collected from seed companies and the national agriculture research systems (NARS). The indicator tracks the number of active breeders in the public and private sectors who are working on one or more of the priority crops.

Approved varieties are released by the government agency in charge of the seed industry. In most cases, newly-released varieties are listed in a national seed variety catalogue. The indicator tracks the number of varieties that have been released in the ten years preceding the study.

Foundation (or early-generation) seed is pure seed stock used to grow registered and certified seed. In most African countries, it is grown by or under the supervision of a public agency, though some bigger private companies have facilities to produce their own foundation seed. Seed companies that do not breed their own varieties access basic seed from sources such as government agricultural research programs, international agricultural research institutions, or other seed companies. The indicator tracks the availability of foundation seed (also known as early-generation seed) by collecting information on the volumes of basic seeds produced by seed companies and NARS, as well as the seed companies' opinion on the availability of foundation seed.

The underlying assumption here is that, as a result of breeding efforts, new varieties respond better than old varieties to challenges such as climate change, new pests, and diseases. Consequently, the younger the age of varieties on the market, the better-prepared farmers are to meet the above challenges. The indicator tracks the age of varieties sold based on the year when the variety is released by the regulator. Information is sourced from seed companies, government institutions, and the variety release catalogue.

"Special attributes/features" address certain agronomic, nutritional, and social challenges or demands by the food industry; examples include varieties that are climate-smart (e.g., drought-tolerance), gender-responsive (e.g., quick-cooking), nutrition-enhanced, demanded by industry, etc. The indicator tracks the number of varieties that have at least one "special" feature. Information is collected from the national variety release catalogue and is presented as the percentage of all varieties released in the last three (3) years.

Competition breeds excellence! The indicator tracks the number of active, registered companies that are engaged in the production and sale of certified seeds of at least one of the priority crops in the data collection year. The indicator also tracks the volume of combined production and sales for the priority crops.

As a measure of market power concentration, indicator tracks the seed sales by each active company and reports the combined market share of the top four companies. The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is also used to track market concentration.

Tracking government involvement shows the impact a state-owned seed company has on the seed sector. This indicator tracks the seed sales by companies that are owned by the government (wholly or partly) and presents them as a percentage of total seed sales.

This indicator tracks the length of the import/export processes measured in days, the total volume of certified seed imports and exports, and seed companies' level of satisfaction with the import/export processes.

The length of variety release (in months) is measured from the date a variety is submitted for National Performance Trials to when it is approved for release by the Variety Release Committee. The indicator also tracks costs associated with the variety release process.

This indicator tracks whether the country has a seed policy framework in place, including seed policy, seed law, regulations, plant protection law, etc. It also tracks the status of regional harmonization, if applicable.

The indicator tracks the degree of implementation of the country's seed policies and laws, as well as that of the regional seed regulations (if applicable). It also tracks seed companies' level of satisfaction with the implementation of seed regulations in the country.

Inspectors have multiple important roles, including the testing of seed performance in the field and inspecting seed dealers and agents at the retail level. The indicator tracks the number of seed inspectors, including, when available, number of instructors by sector (public vs. private) and gender. It also tracks seed companies' level of satisfaction with the adequacy of seed inspectors.

Counterfeit seed is a growing problem in most African countries, threatening smallholder farmers who unknowingly purchase inferior quality grain labeled as certified seed. The indicator tracks the number of counterfeit seed cases reported (if available) in the country, along with measures used by the government to stamp out fake seeds. It also assesses the level of satisfaction reported by seed companies with government efforts to counter fake seeds.

The indicator tracks the extent to which the government uses a smart subsidy program by tracking the following four components:
1. Size and value of the subsidy program, as a percentage of the overall seed market.
2. Distribution system for the subsidy program, whether through private or public institutions.
3. In the case of price subsidies, the percentage of the seed retail price that is subsidized by the program.
4. In the case of targeted subsidies, the population(s) targeted by the subsidy program.

Well-functioning national seed sectors have effective coordinating institutions that work well together, following rules and procedures in clearly defined legal instruments. This indicator collects information on the above aspects of the national seed sector.

In many countries, national seed trade associations play a key role between the private sector and government in seed-sector policy processes. This indicator tracks the performance of the national seed trade association from the point of view of its members, including governance, management, representation, effectiveness in advocacy, and value to members.

Well-functioning agricultural extension services are critical to the successful adoption of improved seeds by smallholder farmers. The indicator tracks the ratio of the number of public and private extension officers to the number of farming households.

Agro-dealers play a key role in closing the last mile in Africa's seed distribution systems and are often the main point of sale for certified seed. The indicator tracks the ratio of the number of agro-dealers to the number of agricultural households in the country.

Because most farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa are small-scale, making seed available in small, more affordable packages is a good way to increase adoption rates among smallholder farmers. This indicator tracks the availability of seed in small packages (defined as 2 kgs or smaller) presented as the percentage of overall seed sales.

This data point is important as many smallholder farmers end up making a choice between purchasing seed from the formal sector or planting grain. The indicator tracks the ratio of the price of certified seed (per kg) and the farm-gate price of grain (per kg), at the time of planting.

Responsiveness to customer demand and feedback is a key facet of a successful business. This indicator collects information on marketing strategies and quality assurance systems employed by seed companies/producers. It measures the extent to which seed companies are implementing practices that allow them to better serve their customers (smallholder farmers).